Decision Science In Action

This book provides essential insights into a range of newly developed numerical optimization techniques with a view to solving real-world problems. Many of these problems can be modeled as nonlinear optimization problems, but due to their complex nature, it is not always possible to solve them using conventional optimization theory. Accordingly, the book discusses the design and applications of non-conventional numerical optimization techniques, including the design of benchmark functions and the implementation of these techniques to solve real-world optimization problems. The book’s twenty chapters examine various interesting research topics in this area, including: Pi fraction-based optimization of the Pantoja–Bretones–Martin (PBM) antenna benchmarks; benchmark function generators for single-objective robust optimization algorithms; convergence of gravitational search algorithms on linear and quadratic functions; and an algorithm for the multi-variant evolutionary synthesis of nonlinear models with real-valued chromosomes. Delivering on its promise to explore real-world scenarios, the book also addresses the seismic analysis of a multi-story building with optimized damper properties; the application of constrained spider monkey optimization to solve portfolio optimization problems; the effect of upper body motion on a bipedal robot’s stability; an ant colony algorithm for routing alternate-fuel vehicles in multi-depot vehicle routing problems; enhanced fractal dimension-based feature extraction for thermal face recognition; and an artificial bee colony-based hyper-heuristic for the single machine order acceptance and scheduling problem. The book will benefit not only researchers, but also organizations active in such varied fields as Aerospace, Automotive, Biotechnology, Consumer Packaged Goods, Electronics, Finance, Business & Banking, Oil, Gas & Geosciences, and Pharma, to name a few.

This is the second edition of Wil van der Aalst’s seminal book on process mining, which now discusses the field also in the broader context of data science and big data approaches. It includes several additions and updates, e.g. on inductive mining techniques, the notion of alignments, a considerably expanded section on software tools and a completely new chapter of process mining in the large. It is self-contained, while at the same time covering the entire process-mining spectrum from process discovery to predictive analytics. After a general introduction to data science and process mining in Part I, Part II provides the basics of business process modeling and data mining necessary to understand the remainder of the book. Next, Part III focuses on process discovery as the most important process mining task, while Part IV moves beyond discovering the control flow of processes, highlighting conformance checking, and organizational and time perspectives. Part V offers a guide to successfully applying process mining in practice, including an introduction to the widely used open-source tool ProM and several commercial products. Lastly, Part VI takes a step back, reflecting on the material presented and the key open challenges. Overall, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in process mining. It is intended for business process analysts, business consultants, process managers, graduate students, and BPM researchers.

From weaker to stronger rhetoric : literature - Laboratories - From weak points to strongholds : machines - Insiders out - From short to longer networks : tribunals of reason - Centres of calculation.

An overview of today's diverse theoretical and methodological approaches to action and the relationship of action and cognition. The emerging field of action science is characterized by a diversity of theoretical and methodological approaches that share the basic functional belief that evolution has optimized cognitive systems to serve the demands of action. This book brings together the constitutive approaches of action science in a single source, covering the relation of action to such cognitive functions as perception, attention, memory, and volition. Each chapter offers a tutorial-like description of a major line of inquiry, written by a leading scientist in the field. Taken together, the chapters reflect a dynamic and rapidly growing field and provide a forum for comparison and possible integration of approaches. After discussing core questions about how actions are controlled and learned, the book considers ecological approaches to action science; neurocogntive approaches to action understanding and attention; developmental approaches to action science; social actions, including imitation and joint action; and the relationships between action and the conceptual system (grounded cognition) and between volition and action. An emerging discipline depends on a rich and multifaceted supply of theoretical and methodological approaches. The diversity of perspectives offered in this book will serve as a guide for future explorations in action science. Contributors Lawrence W. Barsalou, Miriam Beisert, Valerian Chambon, Thomas Goschke, Patrick Haggard, Arvid Herwig, Herbert Heuer, Cecilia Heyes, Bernhard Hommel, Glyn W. Humphreys, Richard B. Ivry, Markus Kiefer, Günther Knoblich, Sally A. Linkenauger, Janeen D. Loehr, Peter J. Marshall, Andrew N. Meltzoff, Wolfgang Prinz, Dennis R. Proffitt, Giacomo Rizzolatti, David A. Rosenbaum, Natalie Sebanz, Corrado Sinigaglia, Sandra Sülzenbrück, Jordan A. Taylor, Michael T. Turvey, Claes von Hofsten, Rebecca A. Williamson

"Kids love hands-on science. Yet too few grow up to be scientists. Kids need to be reading, writing and thinking about science as well as doing it. Writing in Science in Action propels us full throttle into both hands-on and "minds on" science. Rupp Fulwiler show us how to help kids wrap their minds around science, do science and have a blast in the process. If we really want to prepare kids for an increasingly unpredictable future, we need teachers to read this book and share the practices with the budding young scientists in their rooms." -Stephanie Harvey, author of The Comprehension Toolkit Writing in Science in Action, the highly anticipated follow-up resource to Betsy Rupp Fulwiler's landmark book Writing in Science (Heinemann 2007), offers all new field-tested materials, including 10 video episodes that show teachers as they implement her approach in real classrooms with real children. The Writing in Science in Action online resources brings the content to life by providing clear and explicit models of students talking and writing, and teachers providing the scaffolding, modeling, and conferring needed to support those students.You'll see teachers working in diverse settings with a range of learners, including ELLs, students with special needs, and reluctant writers. You'll also see groups of teachers assessing student notebooks and planning instruction based on their assessments. Focusing on science topics that are accessible and familiar, Fulwiler uses carefully interconnected video episodes, student work, and detailed classroom vignettes to take the reader into the complexity of individual classrooms and the practices of skilled teachers. Seeing her approach in action is a powerful teaching tool, and the online resources, used in combination with the practical text, takes Writing in Science to a whole new level. Seeing really is believing. Writing in Science in Action provides clear guidance and structures for classroom practice, with: * specific strategies that can be immediately used in any classroom * step by step instruction on how to use each strategy * ideas for planning, modeling, scaffolding, and assessment * samples of over 100 student notebook entries with commentaries * techniques for working with ELLs, emergent writers, and struggling students.

This book describes the new perspective of naturalistic decision making. The point of departure is how people make decisions in complex, time-pressured, ambiguous, and changing environments. The purpose of this book is to present and elaborate on past models developed to explain this type of decision making. The central philosophy of the book is that classical decision theory has been unproductive since it is so heavily grounded in economics and mathematics. The contributors believe there is little to be learned from laboratory studies about how people actually handle difficult and interesting tasks; therefore, the book presents a critique of classical decision theory. The models of naturalistic decision making described by the contributors were derived to explain the behavior of firefighters, business people, jurors, nuclear power plant operators, and command-and-control officers. The models are unique in that they address the way people use experience to frame situations and adopt courses of action. The models explain the strengths of skilled decision makers. Naturalistic decision research requires the examination of field settings, and a section of the book covers methods for conducting meaningful research outside the laboratory. In addition, since his approach has applied value, the book covers issues of training and decision support systems.

Accompanying CD-ROM includes 600 figures, tables and color plates from the book Plants in action which can be used for the production of color transparencies or for projections in lectures.

This book provides an approach to physical science instruction in a way that is interesting and engaging to students featuring author-created action sports videos and classroom activities focused on physical science concepts.

"The evidence-based practice (EBP) movement has always been about implementing optimal health care practices. Practitioners have three primary roles they can play in relation to the research evidence in EBP: scientists, systematic reviewers, and research consumers. Learning EBP is an acculturation process begun during professional training that seamlessly integrates research and practice"--Provided by publisher.

Application of Decision Science in Business and Management is a book where each chapter has been contributed by a different author(s). The chapters introduce and demonstrate a decision-making theory to practice case studies. It demonstrates key results for each sector with diverse real-world case studies. Theory is accompanied by relevant analysis techniques, with a progressive approach building from simple theory to complex and dynamic decisions with multiple data points, including big data, lot of data, etc. Computational techniques, dynamic analysis, probabilistic methods, and mathematical optimization techniques are expertly blended to support analysis of multi-criteria decision-making problems with defined constraints and requirements. The book provides an interface between the main disciplines of engineering/technology and the organizational, administrative, and planning abilities of decision making. It is complementary to other sub-disciplines such as economics, finance, marketing, decision and risk analysis, etc.