A new method for learning variational autoencoders (VAEs) is developed, based on Stein variational gradient descent. A key advantage of this approach is that one need not make parametric assumptions about the form of the encoder distribution. Performance is further enhanced by integrating the proposed encoder with importance sampling. Excellent performance is demonstrated across multiple unsupe...

We consider an infinite server resequencing queue, where arrivals are generated by jumps of a semi-Markov process and service times depend on the jumps of this process. The stationary distribution of the sojourn time, conditioned on the state of the semi-Markov process, is obtained both for the case of hyperexponential service times and for the case of a Markovian arrival process. For the gener...

Since the advent of Markovian Process Algebras, users have requested the ability to employ a greater variety of action distribution. We present a conservative extension to the popular Markovian process algebra, PEPA, which incorporates generally distributed sojourn-times for action duration. Just as a PEPA model generates a Markov chain for analysis purposes, so semi-Markov PEPA produces a semi...

A semi-quantum key distribution (SQKD) protocol allows a quantum user and a limited “classical” user to establish a shared secret key secure against an allpowerful adversary. In this work, we present a new SQKD protocol where the quantum user is also limited in her measurement capabilities. We describe the protocol, prove its security, and show its noise tolerance is as high as “fully quantum” ...

We compare a hidden Markov and Erlang semi-Markov modeling of a partially observable deteriorating system operating under a varying load and subject to multi-sensor vibration monitoring. The evolution of the unknown state process is described by a hidden, two state semi-Markov process with an Erlang sojourn time distribution in the healthy state. The unknown model parameters are estimated using...

Searching the internet using the currently available search engines is not satisfactory. The techniques used there focus on the extraction of relevant information directly from the documents available on the web. We introduce a new approach, which aims at describing the content of a webspace, formed by a collection of related documents, instead of looking at the single documents. By identifying...

Product Distribution(PD) theory is a new framework for doing distributed, adaptive control of a multiagent system(MAS). We introduce the technique of “coordinate transformations” in PD theory gradient descent. These transformations selectively couple a few agents with each other into ”meta-agents”. Intuitively, this can be viewed as a generalization of forming binding contracts between those ag...

the shape of wake behind a wind turbine is normally assumed to have a hat shape for the models used in wind farm layout optimization purposes; however, it is know from experimental tests and numerical simulations that this is not a real assumption. in reality, the results of actual measurements and detailed numerical simulation show that the velocity in wake region has a s-shape profile. the pr...