1,720,991 research outputs found
Theory of Functional Connections Extended to Fractional Operators
The theory of functional connections, an analytical framework generalizing interpolation, was extended and applied in the context of fractional-order operators (integrals and derivatives). The extension was performed and presented for univariate functions, with the aim of determining the whole set of functions satisfying some constraints expressed in terms of integrals and derivatives of non-integer order. The objective of these expressions was to solve fractional differential equations or other problems subject to fractional constraints. Although this work focused on the Riemann–Liouville definitions, the method is, however, more general, and it can be applied with different definitions of fractional operators just by changing the way they are computed. Three examples are provided showing, step by step, how to apply this extension for: (1) one constraint in terms of a fractional derivative, (2) three constraints (a function, a fractional derivative, and an integral), and (3) two constraints expressed in terms of linear combinations of fractional derivatives and integrals
Constrained optimization of n-impulse periodic close encounter orbits for inspection missions
A periodic close encounter orbit is an orbit that periodically surveys a target spacecraft. The design of such orbits is important for both military and civil missions. As an example, it can be used for a preliminary mission design to better plan the repair of damaged, expensive, strategic, or extremely critical space assets. Indeed, this paper proposes an optimization approach and algorithm to reach periodic close encounter orbits through n-impulse maneuvers within the framework of Keplerian motion. The optimization is constrained to several bound requirements, such as a) distance bounds at encounter, b) total Δvtot cost, c) single impulse cost Δvk, d) encounter illumination angle, e) daily observation time, f) minimum perigee radius, g) maximum repetition time, h) maximum eccentricity, and i) maximum encounter time. The optimization, performed using Genetic Algorithm, has been validated by several numerical examples using the TLEs of existing satellites. The simulations showed good results and the reliability of the proposed approach via the Genetic Algorithm has been validated by a comparison with the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Design of flower constellations for telecommunication services
Satellite constellation designers take into consideration the entire telecommunication network and their design choices are influenced by many factors including: number of satellites, orbital characteristics, coverage area, network interconnections, system cost, and complexity. When the satellite constellation design method does not include a large number of possible configurations, then the final result of the design process is a suboptimal solution. Flower Constellation (FC) design provides a relatively new design approach which can overcome this problem. The time evolution of the FC theory is here summarized and the fundamental mathematics allowing the constellation design is provided. In particular, the theory is applied to the design and optimization of constellations maximizing the global coverage and the network connectivity via intersatellite links. Performance results are compared to the classical type of satellite constellations, i.e., the Walker Constellations. The performance improvement provided by FC design with respect to Walker Constellation design is shown. Finally, considerations regarding the cost for deployment and orbital control are also provided
Variations on the Author
“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
We provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
We conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
- …
