Modeling and Simulation

Comparing overlapping batch means and standardized time series under multiple replications in parallel

by Edjair Mota

Investigating the Extent that Religion is considered: A Survey of Various SSTR Modeling tool’s Literature

by Glenn Hodges

Holmenkollen Time Travel Developing a Situated Simulation for a handheld device

by Vegard Orkelbog

Masters Thesis - the department of Informatics at the University of Oslo

Holmenkollen is a ski jumping hill, a place and a structure of cultural and historical importance in Norway. This... more Holmenkollen is a ski jumping hill, a place and a structure of cultural and historical importance in Norway. This thesis describes the development of the situated simulation Holmenkollen Time Travel (HTT), an application made for iPad2. The HTT allows a user to “travel in time” to experience four different versions of the ski jumping hill, hence the name. The application is tested on location by different user groups and the feedback from the individuals shows how the HTT can enhance a user’s experience of Holmenkollen. The application introduces some new developments to the concept of situated simulations, and is further analyzed within the theoretical framework of Augmented Reality and Place Specific Computing.

The Simulated HI Sky at low redshift

by Attila Popping

Bayesian flexibles modelling of mixed logit models

by marcucci edoardo

Misyurov D.A. Dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas // Credo New. 2012. №2

by Dmitry Misyurov

The article suggests dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas: formula with... more The article suggests dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas: formula with dominant and the non-dominant elements; universal formula; formula with symbolic weight of elements; tautological formula. For example, it suggests an opportunity to use the dialectical formulas for modeling and artificial intelligence creation, etc.

Modelling the Adaptability of Biological Systems

by Eugene Ch'ng

The Open Journal of Cybernetics and Systemics

There are millions of species of organisms in estimation today, each possessing different preferences or tolerance... more There are millions of species of organisms in estimation today, each possessing different preferences or tolerance towards a multitude of factors; these factors include mainly competition between species and environmental conditions. From a computer modelling point of view, these biological systems could be difficult to implement. However, if a unified formula could be found to measure all of the factors against the preferences of each life form, its potentials for modelling open systems that require multiple external input variables could be significant. This article explores a formula and variations of it as applied first to measure sessile systems – vegetation, which requires multiple variables for determining its fitness, and then to a pilot study exploring its use for dynamic vagile systems. Experiments suggest that using the formula and variations of it on vegetation communities yielded distribution patterns similar to those in natural landscapes. Experiments using the formula in the pilot study showed characteristics of emergent behaviours as each dynamic system seeks its own ecological niche. The findings provided evidence that the formula could be extended for modelling a wide variety
of open biological systems.

Characterising a grid site's traffic

by Yehia El-khatib

Navigating multi-dimensional results from large parametric building simulation studies

by Graeme Stuart

co-authored with Ivan Korolija and Ljiljana Marjanovic-Halburd

Advances in computing in recent years allow for many thousands of building energy simulations to be computed in the... more Advances in computing in recent years allow for many thousands of building energy simulations to be computed in the time previously required for a single simulation run. Software tools exist that allow for a single input file to be modified in a number of different ways to generate thousands of self-similar input files which can then be automatically simulated. The problem with this approach is not the simulation time but the time and effort required for the analysis of the vast set of results generated.

Large, multi-dimensional result sets cannot be easily visualised as a whole. One approach is to view the results as a non-linear, interactive document in which only a small part of the results is viewed at any one time. With the addition of simple navigation to select the next sample to view, this approach allows the analyst to easily browse the large result set. More concretely, a one-dimensional sample (a selection of simulations which vary in only one aspect) can be selected from the dataset and visualised as a simple bar chart. Simple rules can then be applied to identify a collection of similar, one-dimensional samples for navigation.

To examine this approach, a prototype tool was developed as a web-based application. The basis for this tool was a multi-parameter simulation study of office building energy consumption including 1,440 individual simulations varying across six dimensions including four building types, five building fabrics, three percentages of glazing, the inclusion of daylight control, two glazing types and six HVAC system types (including building load calculations). The tool included a basic report comparing a one-dimensional sample of results and a detailed report showing time series results for an individual case. Navigation panels allowed for simple traversal of the results set and to move between the two reports. The tool was found to be very useful for navigating the multi-dimensional data and the method is generic enough to be transferable to similar datasets.

Vertical vegetation design decisions and their impact on energy consumption in subtropical cities

by Yael Stav

Vertical vegetation is vegetation growing on, or adjacent to, the unused sunlit exterior surfaces of buildings in... more Vertical vegetation is vegetation growing on, or adjacent to, the unused sunlit exterior surfaces of buildings in cities. Vertical vegetation can improve the energy efficiency of the building on which it is installed mainly by insulating, shading and transpiring moisture from foliage and substrate. Several design parameters may affect the extent of the vertical vegetation's improvement of energy performance. Examples are choice of vegetation, growing medium geometry, north/south aspect and others. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively map out the contribution of several parameters to energy savings in a subtropical setting. The method is thermal simulation based on EnergyPlus configured to reflect the special characteristics of vertical vegetation. Thermal simulation results show that yearly cooling energy savings can reach 25% with realistic design choices in subtropical environments. The most important parameter is the aspect of walls covered by vegetation. Vertical vegetation covering walls facing north (south for the northern hemisphere) will result in the highest energy savings. In making plant selections, the most significant parameter is Leaf Area Index (LAI). Plants with larger LAI, preferably LAI>4, contribute to greater savings whereas LAI<2 can actually consume energy. Change of growing medium thickness from 6cm to 8cm causes dramatic increase in energy savings from 2% to 18%. It is best to use a growing material with high water retention, due to the importance of evapotranspiration for cooling. Similarly, for increased savings in cooling energy, sufficient irrigation is required. To conclude, the choice of design parameters for vertical vegetation is crucial in making sure that it contributes to energy savings rather than energy consumption. Optimal design decisions can create a dramatic sustainability enhancement for the built environment in subtropical climates.

Bluehive — A Field-Programable Custom Computing Machine for Extreme-Scale Real-Time Neural Network Simulation

by Paul Fox

Presented at FCCM 2012

Bluehive is a custom 64-FPGA machine targeted at scientific simulations with demanding communication re- quirements.... more Bluehive is a custom 64-FPGA machine targeted at scientific simulations with demanding communication re- quirements. Bluehive is designed to be extensible with a recon- figurable communication topology suited to algorithms with demanding high-bandwidth and low-latency communication, something which is unattainable with commodity GPGPUs and CPUs. We demonstrate that a spiking neuron algorithm can be efficiently mapped to Bluehive using Bluespec SystemVerilog by taking a communication-centric approach. This contrasts with many FPGA-based neural systems which are very focused on parallel computation, resulting in inefficient use of FPGA resources. Our design allows 64k neurons with 64M synapses per FPGA and is scalable to a large number of FPGAs.

MODELING NEWS DISSEMINATION ON NUCLEAR ISSUES

by Antonio Barroso

Tracing decision processes in complex, ambiguous, information-rich environments.

by Nicole Weeks

Weeks, N. J., Wastell, C. A., Taylor, A. J., Wearing, A. J., & Duncan, P. (2011).  Tracing decision processes in complex, ambiguous, information-rich environments. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 4(1), 158-173.

In order to understand analytic processes in organisations, better tools are required to trace decision processes. An... more In order to understand analytic processes in organisations, better tools are required to trace decision processes. An impediment to progress in this area has been the tendency to over-simplify inherently complex information environments or the data that they produce. We address this issue by providing worked examples from the Analysis Simulation Project (ASP). ASP methodology consists of a computer-administered information grid of 64 cells of 50-130 words each. The information accessing activity of participants is recorded. Our results present novel approaches to maintaining optimal complexity in environmental representation and data analysis. Specifically we demonstrate how computer-mediated process tracing methods can simulate the cognitive experience of complexity and how the data can be used to examine behaviour at increasing levels of complexity. We conclude that computer-mediated process-tracing tools provide an opportunity to comprehensively model complex information processing behaviour and therefore allow improved insight into phenomena with similar outcomes but distinct processes.

Phylogeny and Phylogeography of insect bat Myotis muricola. 2012

by M.T. Abdullah, PhD

http://scholar.google.com.my/citations?hl=en&user=ylnvJSAAAAAJ

Myotis muricola is a widespread species covering the Malay Archipelago through the West and East of Wallace’s Line.... more Myotis muricola is a widespread species covering the Malay Archipelago through the West and East of Wallace’s Line. The genetic analysis, based on partial cytochrome b gene, shows the high genetic variation within M. muricola. The phylogenetic analysis has indicated that M. muricola in the Malay Archipelago are monophyletic. Members of M. muricola Eastern are grouped together independently of M. muricola Western and both groups are distantly related. On the other hand, M. muricola Western and M. muricola Eastern are distinct species and sister taxa to M. mystacinus. Based on the high genetic distance (26.8% to 38.5%) and the Genetic Species Concept (Baker & Bradley, 2006), it can be concluded that M. muricola Western and M. muricola Eastern should be considered as two distinct species. Furthermore, two subgroups within M. muricola Western, namely Sumatra-Asian and Bornean subgroups, are recognised as distinct subspecies (with genetic distance of 5.1% to 10.8%). The evidence from the molecular data indicated M. muricola Eastern as the ancestor of M. muricola species complex in the Malay Archipelago, which had earlier diverged into the western region during the Pliocene. Meanwhile, the geographical conditions during the Pleistocene had given more chances for fauna to diversify. It was predicted that M. muricola diverged in the western part of the Malay Archipelago during the Pleistocene when the sea level dropped and produced some landbridges among the islands in Sundaland. The hypothetical dispersal routes of M. muricola are related to the ancient Sunda River systems that produced gallery forest corridors for migration and which served as Pleistocene
refuges during the migration.

Phylogeny and Phylogeography of insect bat Myotis muricola (Gray, 1846) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the West and and East of Wallace's Line Inferred from Partial MtDNA Cytochrome b Gene. Sigit Wiantoro, Ibnu Maryanto and M.T. Abdullah. 2012. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science 35(2): 271-292.

Molecular phylogenetics and systematics of five genera of Malaysian murine rodents (Maxomys, Sundamys, Leopoldamys, Niviventer and Rattus) inferred from partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene.

by M.T. Abdullah, PhD

Nur Aida Md Tamrin and M. T. Abdullah. 2011. Journal of Science and Technology in the Tropics 7: 75-86. (SCOPUS-indexed).

We genetically analysed 50 specimens of Murinae from Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, assigned to 12 species.... more We genetically analysed 50 specimens of Murinae from Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, assigned to 12 species. Phylogenetic analyses of partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (476 base pairs) using four methods, namely, neighbour-joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian method resulted in similar statistically supported clades with minimal change in branching order. The analyses discovered that there were intermediate form of Maxomys species within M. whiteheadi and M. ochraceiventer populations. They display same external morphology as M. whiteheadi but genetically closer to M. ochraceiventer. Craniodental measurements showed significant differences between the three populations. Rattus and Sundamys appeared not fully resolved while Leopoldamys and Niviventer were steadily clustered. The intraspecific geographic variation in some species agrees with previous studies on the vicariance scenario and diversification of flora and fauna in Malaysia and Borneo.

Nur Aida Md Tamrin and M. T. Abdullah. 2011. Journal of Science and Technology in the Tropics 7: 75-86. (SCOPUS-indexed).

A morphological analysis of Malaysian Kerivoula (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae).

by M.T. Abdullah, PhD

Related study by Faisal Anwali Khan et al. 2010

Recent identification of new species within the genus Kerivoula from the Southeast Asian region has indicated that... more Recent identification of new species within the genus Kerivoula from the Southeast Asian region has indicated that this genus was understudied and currently underestimated in terms of its species diversity. Thus, this morphological study was carried out to record and analyse the morphological characters of available specimens of Malaysian Kerivoula from the Museum of Zoology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. Thirty-one external, skull and dental characters were taken and analysed using the multivariate analysis, dicriminant function analysis. As the result, six groupings of Kerivoula was identified, namely K. intermedia, K. hardwickii, K. pellucida, K. lenis and K. papillosa which were divided into two distinctive groupings of K. papillosa type large (K.
papillosa type L, hereafter) and K. papillosa type small (K. papillosa type S, hereafter). Variable dentary length was identified as the best predictor to characterize each group of Kerivoula. The
separation of the K. papillosa specimens into two separate morphotypes were characterised by their different sizes whereby the former group was larger in size compared to the latter. It is suggested that each represents an independent species even though both morphotypes occur sympatrically. The homogenising effect of the previous environmental events might have been the primary factor of the sympatric occurrence of both morphotypes. Nevertheless, further study regarding ecology, morphology and genetics should be carried out to provide a better insight regarding the cryptic population of K. papillosa in Borneo and Malaysia.

Hasan, N.H., Abdullah, M.T. 2011. Mammal Study 36: 87-97.

On Measurement of Influence in Social Networks

by behnam hajian

behnam hajian, Tony White

Abstract-One of the issues to be resolved in social recommender
systems is the identification of opinion leaders... more Abstract-One of the issues to be resolved in social recommender
systems is the identification of opinion leaders in
a network. Finding effective people in societies has been a
key question for many groups; e.g., marketers. The research
undertaken in this paper focuses on finding important nodes in
a network based on their behaviour as well as the structure of the
network. This paper views the propagation of information in a
social network as a process of infection. The paper proposes
an algorithm called the Probability Propagation Method for
measuring the probability of infection of all the nodes in a
network starting from a given node in the network. Then,
assuming independence in activation of nodes in a network,
a method is proposed for ranking nodes according to their
capabilities in infecting a larger number of nodes in a network.
These methods are validated using simulation software in which
a non-deterministic model of information diffusion is simulated
on several classes of network.

Keywords: Modeling Influence, Social Network, Measuring Influence, Markov Chain Model, Propagation.

Manufacturing Simulators

by Corne Schutte

P. Kruger and C. Schutte, "Manufacturing Simulators", South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, vol. 1(2), pp. 21-32, 1987.

Simulation modelling has been identified as one of the most powerful techniques available for the analysis and design... more Simulation modelling has been identified as one of the most powerful techniques available for the analysis and design of complex manufacturing systems. A number of manufacturing simulators have been designed in an effort to make it easier to use the simulation approach in the manufacturing environment. This paper will attempt to describe and evaluate the
characteristics of some of the available manufacturing simulators as well as possible ways to alleviate some of the inherent disadvantages. This paper will also report on the preliminary design philosophy and specifications of a manufacturing simulation program generator (FACSIM) presently under
development.

Simulation Modelling as a Tool for Performing Availability and Sensitivity Analysis

by Corne Schutte

P. Kruger and C. Schutte, "Simulation Modelling as a Tool for Performing Availability and Sensitivity Analysis", South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, vol. 4(1), pp. 41-52, 1990.

Simulation modelling is a general purpose tool that may be used to provide decision support in a number of application... more Simulation modelling is a general purpose tool that may be used to provide decision support in a number of application areas. It may be used to analyze, design or "optimize" manufacturing,
materials handling, management, commercial and a wide variety of other systems.
This paper will report on the design of a prototype decision support tool, based on a simulation model of a vehicle fleet availability problem. The primary purpose of the model is to serve as a tool for the evaluation of the availability of equipment under different conditions and to perform sensitivity analysis.

Simulating the long-term effects of agropastoral landuse decisions: a computational modeling approach to the Prepottery/Pottery Neolithic transition in northern Jordan.

by Isaac Ullah

Paper presented at the 2012 SAA conference in Memphis, TN., April 18-22. Part of the symposium "Socio-natural systems in pastoral and agro-pastoral societies: Archaeological investigations of pastoral landscapes." Organized by myself and Claudia Chang.

These are only the presentation slides. Please contact me if you would like to have a copy of the (very rough draft) paper that these slides refer to.

This paper uses a computational modeling approach to investigate a major shift in settlement and agropastoral landuse... more This paper uses a computational modeling approach to investigate a major shift in settlement and agropastoral landuse patterns that occurred in northern Jordan at the end of the PPNB/C period (~8250 ybp). Although no consensus exists, archaeological and geomorphological evidence suggests that the shift could have been prompted by human-caused landscape degradation around the early villages. I test this hypothesis by first conducting a series of simulation experiments exploring the long-term effects of a variety of agropastoral subsistence behaviors on Neolithic landscapes. These experiments produce testable hypotheses, which are then used to explore the existing evidence recovered from this period.