Geocomputation, Sustainability and Environmental Planning

Geocomputation, Sustainability and Environmental Planning
Author: Beniamino Murgante
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2011-03-23
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 3642197329

The experience developed by Ian McHarg represents the first attempt to base environmental planning on more objective methods. In particular, he supposed that the real world can be considered as a layer cake and each layer represents a sectoral analysis. This metaphor represents the fundamental of overlay mapping. At the beginning, these principles have been applied only by hand, just considering the degree of darkness, produced by layer transparency, as a negative impact. In the following years, this craftmade approach, has been adopted for data organization in Geographical Information Systems producing analyses with a high level of quality and rigour. Nowadays, great part of studies in environmental planning field have been developed using GIS. The next step relative to the simple use of geographic information in supporting environmental planning is the adoption of spatial simulation models, which can predict the evolution of phenomena. As the use of spatial information has definitely improved the quality of data sets on which basing decision-making process, the use of Geostatistics, spatial simulation and, more generally, geocomputation methods allows the possibility of basing the decision-making process on predicted future scenarios. It is very strange that a discipline such as planning which programs the territory for the future years in great part of cases is not based on simulation models. Sectoral analyses, often based on surveys, are not enough to highlight dynamics of an area. Better knowing urban and environmental changes occurred in the past, it is possible to provide better simulations to predict possible tendencies. The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the main methods and techniques adopted in the field of environmental geocomputation in order to produce a more sustainable development.

Geocomputation, Sustainability and Environmental Planning

Geocomputation, Sustainability and Environmental Planning
Author: Beniamino Murgante
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2011-04-20
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 9783642197345

The experience developed by Ian McHarg represents the first attempt to base environmental planning on more objective methods. In particular, he supposed that the real world can be considered as a layer cake and each layer represents a sectoral analysis. This metaphor represents the fundamental of overlay mapping. At the beginning, these principles have been applied only by hand, just considering the degree of darkness, produced by layer transparency, as a negative impact. In the following years, this craftmade approach, has been adopted for data organization in Geographical Information Systems producing analyses with a high level of quality and rigour. Nowadays, great part of studies in environmental planning field have been developed using GIS. The next step relative to the simple use of geographic information in supporting environmental planning is the adoption of spatial simulation models, which can predict the evolution of phenomena. As the use of spatial information has definitely improved the quality of data sets on which basing decision-making process, the use of Geostatistics, spatial simulation and, more generally, geocomputation methods allows the possibility of basing the decision-making process on predicted future scenarios. It is very strange that a discipline such as planning which programs the territory for the future years in great part of cases is not based on simulation models. Sectoral analyses, often based on surveys, are not enough to highlight dynamics of an area. Better knowing urban and environmental changes occurred in the past, it is possible to provide better simulations to predict possible tendencies. The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the main methods and techniques adopted in the field of environmental geocomputation in order to produce a more sustainable development.

Geocomputation and Urban Planning

Geocomputation and Urban Planning
Author: Beniamino Murgante
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2009-02-26
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3540899294

Sixteen years ago, Franklin estimated that about 80% of data contain geo-referenced information. To date, the availability of geographic data and information is growing, together with the capacity of users to operate with IT tools and instruments. Spatial data infrastructures are growing and allow a wide number of users to rely on them. This growth has not been fully coupled to an increase of knowledge to support spatial decisions. Spatial analytical techniques, geographical analysis and modelling methods are therefore required to analyse data and to facilitate the decision process at all levels. Old geographical issues can find an answer thanks to new methods and instruments, while new issues are developing, challenging researchers towards new solutions. This volume aims to contribute to the development of new techniques and methods to improve the process of knowledge acquisition. The Geocomputational expression is related to the development and the application of new theories, methods and tools in order to provide better solutions to complex geographical problems. The geocomputational analysis discussed in this volume, could be classified according to three main domains of applications; the first one related to spatial decision support system and to spatial uncertainty, the second connected to artificial intelligence, the third based on all spatial statistics techniques.

Computational Optimization, Methods and Algorithms

Computational Optimization, Methods and Algorithms
Author: Slawomir Koziel
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2011-06-17
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3642208592

Computational optimization is an important paradigm with a wide range of applications. In virtually all branches of engineering and industry, we almost always try to optimize something - whether to minimize the cost and energy consumption, or to maximize profits, outputs, performance and efficiency. In many cases, this search for optimality is challenging, either because of the high computational cost of evaluating objectives and constraints, or because of the nonlinearity, multimodality, discontinuity and uncertainty of the problem functions in the real-world systems. Another complication is that most problems are often NP-hard, that is, the solution time for finding the optimum increases exponentially with the problem size. The development of efficient algorithms and specialized techniques that address these difficulties is of primary importance for contemporary engineering, science and industry. This book consists of 12 self-contained chapters, contributed from worldwide experts who are working in these exciting areas. The book strives to review and discuss the latest developments concerning optimization and modelling with a focus on methods and algorithms for computational optimization. It also covers well-chosen, real-world applications in science, engineering and industry. Main topics include derivative-free optimization, multi-objective evolutionary algorithms, surrogate-based methods, maximum simulated likelihood estimation, support vector machines, and metaheuristic algorithms. Application case studies include aerodynamic shape optimization, microwave engineering, black-box optimization, classification, economics, inventory optimization and structural optimization. This graduate level book can serve as an excellent reference for lecturers, researchers and students in computational science, engineering and industry.

Developing Concepts in Applied Intelligence

Developing Concepts in Applied Intelligence
Author: Kishan G. Mehrotra
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 137
Release: 2011-06-09
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 3642213316

This book contains selected papers of the IEA/AIE-2011 International Conference on Industrial, Engineering and Other Applications of Applied Intelligent Systems. It features state-of-the-art research on the applications of applied Intelligence techniques.

Computers, Networks, Systems, and Industrial Engineering 2011

Computers, Networks, Systems, and Industrial Engineering 2011
Author: Roger Lee
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2011-06-29
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3642213758

The series "Studies in Computational Intelligence" (SCI) publishes new developments and advances in the various areas of computational intelligence – quickly and with a high quality. The intent is to cover the theory, applications, and design methods of computational intelligence, as embedded in the fields of engineering, computer science, physics and life science, as well as the methodologies behind them. The series contains monographs, lecture notes and edited volumes in computational intelligence spanning the areas of neural networks, connectionist systems, genetic algorithms, evolutionary computation, artificial intelligence, cellular automata, self-organizing systems, soft computing, fuzzy systems, and hybrid intelligent systems. Critical to both contributors and readers are the short publication time and world-wide distribution - this permits a rapid and broad dissemination of research results. The purpose of the 1st ACIS International Conference on Computers, Networks, Systems, and Industrial Engineering (CNSI 2011) was held on May23-25, 2011 in Jeju, Jeju Island, South Korea is to bring together scientist, engineers, computer users, students to share their experiences and exchange new ideas, and research results about all aspects (theory, applications and tools) of computer and information science, and to discuss the practical challenges encountered along the way and the solutions adopted to solve them The conference organizers selected the best 22 papers from those papers accepted for presentation at the conference in order to publish them in this volume. The papers were chosen based on review scores submitted by members of the program committee, and underwent further rigorous rounds of review.

Bio-Inspired Self-Organizing Robotic Systems

Bio-Inspired Self-Organizing Robotic Systems
Author: Yan Meng
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2011-05-08
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 3642207596

Self-organizing approaches inspired from biological systems, such as social insects, genetic, molecular and cellular systems under morphogenesis, and human mental development, has enjoyed great success in advanced robotic systems that need to work in dynamic and changing environments. Compared with classical control methods for robotic systems, the major advantages of bio-inspired self-organizing robotic systems include robustness, self-repair and self-healing in the presence of system failures and/or malfunctions, high adaptability to environmental changes, and autonomous self-organization and self-reconfiguration without a centralized control. “Bio-inspired Self-organizing Robotic Systems” provides a valuable reference for scientists, practitioners and research students working on developing control algorithms for self-organizing engineered collective systems, such as swarm robotic systems, self-reconfigurable modular robots, smart material based robotic devices, unmanned aerial vehicles, and satellite constellations.

Intelligent Computational Optimization in Engineering

Intelligent Computational Optimization in Engineering
Author: Mario Köppen
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2011-07-15
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3642217052

We often come across computational optimization virtually in all branches of engineering and industry. Many engineering problems involve heuristic search and optimization, and, once discretized, may become combinatorial in nature, which gives rise to certain difficulties in terms of solution procedure. Some of these problems have enormous search spaces, are NP-hard and hence require heuristic solution techniques. Another difficulty is the lack of ability of classical solution techniques to determine appropriate optima of non-convex problems. Under these conditions, recent advances in computational optimization techniques have been shown to be advantageous and successful compared to classical approaches. This Volume presents some of the latest developments with a focus on the design of algorithms for computational optimization and their applications in practice. Through the chapters of this book, researchers and practitioners share their experience and newest methodologies with regard to intelligent optimization and provide various case studies of the application of intelligent optimization techniques in real-world applications.This book can serve as an excellent reference for researchers and graduate students in computer science, various engineering disciplines and the industry.

Advances in Distributed Agent-Based Retrieval Tools

Advances in Distributed Agent-Based Retrieval Tools
Author: Vincenzo Pallotta
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 175
Release: 2011-06-30
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 3642213839

This volume contains revised and extended versions of papers presented at the 4th International Workshop on Distributed and Agent-based Retrieval Tools (DART'10) held in conjunction with the Symposium on Human Language Technology for the Information Society.