Exploring Directional Path-Consistency for Solving Constraint Networks

Among the local consistency techniques used for solving constraint networks, path-consistency (PC) has received a great deal of attention. However, enforcing PC is computationally expensive and sometimes even unnecessary. Directional path-consistency (DPC) is a weaker notion of PC that considers a given variable ordering and can thus be enforced more efficiently than PC. This paper shows that DPC (the DPC enforcing algorithm of Dechter and Pearl) decides the constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) of a constraint language if it is complete and has the variable elimination property (VEP). However, we also show that no complete VEP constraint language can have a domain with more than 2 values. We then present a simple variant of the DPC algorithm, called DPC*, and show that the CSP of a constraint language can be decided by DPC* if it is closed under a majority operation. In fact, DPC* is sufficient for guaranteeing backtrack-free search for such constraint networks. Examples of majority-closed constraint classes include the classes of connected row-convex (CRC) constraints and tree-preserving constraints, which have found applications in various domains, such as scene labeling, temporal reasoning, geometric reasoning, and logical filtering. Our experimental evaluations show that DPC* significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms for solving majority-closed constraints

Multiagent Simple Temporal Problem: The Arc-Consistency Approach

The Simple Temporal Problem (STP) is a fundamental temporal reasoning problem and has recently been extended to the Multiagent Simple Temporal Problem (MaSTP). In this paper we present a novel approach that is based on enforcing arc-consistency (AC) on the input (multiagent) simple temporal network. We show that the AC-based approach is sufficient for solving both the STP and MaSTP and provide efficient algorithms for them. As our AC-based approach does not impose new constraints between agents, it does not violate the privacy of the agents and is superior to the state-of-the-art approach to MaSTP. Empirical evaluations on diverse benchmark datasets also show that our AC-based algorithms for STP and MaSTP are significantly more efficient than existing approaches.Comment: Accepted by The Thirty-Second AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-18

Anomalous Hall magnetoresistance in a ferromagnet

The anomalous Hall effect, observed in conducting ferromagnets with broken time-reversal symmetry, offers the possibility to couple spin and orbital degrees of freedom of electrons in ferromagnets. In addition to charge, the anomalous Hall effect also leads to spin accumulation at the surfaces perpendicular to both the current and magnetization direction. Here we experimentally demonstrate that the spin accumulation, subsequent spin backflow, and spin-charge conversion can give rise to a different type of spin current related magnetoresistance, dubbed here as the anomalous Hall magnetoresistance, which has the same angular dependence as the recently discovered spin Hall magnetoresistance. The anomalous Hall magnetoresistance is observed in four types of samples: co-sputtered (Fe1-xMnx)0.6Pt0.4, Fe1-xMnx and Pt multilayer, Fe1-xMnx with x = 0.17 to 0.65 and Fe, and analyzed using the drift-diffusion model. Our results provide an alternative route to study charge-spin conversion in ferromagnets and to exploit it for potential spintronic applications

A Simple Low-Cost Shared-Aperture Dual-Band Dual-Polarized High Gain Antenna for Synthetic Aperture Radars

This paper presents a novel shared-aperture dual-band dual-polarized high-gain antenna for potential applications in synthetic aperture radars (SAR). To reduce the complexity of SAR antennas, a dual-band dual-polarized high gain antenna based on the concept of Fabry-Perot resonant cavity is designed. This antenna operates in both C and X bands with a frequency ratio of 1:1.8. To form two separate resonant cavities, two frequency selective surface (FSS) layers are employed, leading to high flexibility in choosing desired frequencies for each band. The beam scanning capability of this proposed antenna is also investigated, where a beam scanning angle range of ±15o is achieved in two orthogonal polarizations. To verify this design concept, three passive antenna prototypes were designed, fabricated and measured. One prototype has broadside radiation patterns whilst the other two prototypes have frozen beam scanned to +15o. The measured results agree well with the simulated ones, showing that high gain, high port isolation, and low cross cross-polarization levels are obtained in both bands. Compared to the conventional high gain dual-band dual-polarized SAR antennas, the proposed antenna has achieved a significant reduction in the complexity, mass, size, loss and cost of the feed network

Comparison of the calculated method to the driving voltage applied across the lay in single and double layers of piezoelectric material of active sound absorption

Piezoelectric material can be used as a main component of devices, such as transducers, energy exchangers and arresters. Due to its excellent mechanics and electric coupling performances, piezoelectric material can also be utilized in control system of sound and vibration. However, there have not been any publications outlining the basic equations of reflection or transmission coefficients of driving voltage applied across the layers (single or double) of piezoelectric material. In this paper, two methods – the theoretical method and the electro-acoustic analogy method – are used in order to compare the driving voltage applied across the single and the double layer of active sound surfaces of piezoelectric material. Computational results indicate that the proposed theoretical models are correct and applicable in practical implementations

Comparison of σ-Hole and π-Hole Tetrel Bonds in Complexes of Borazine with TH3F and F2TO/H2TO (T=C,Si,Ge)

The complexes between borazine and TH3F/F2TO/H2TO (T=C, Si, Ge) are investigated with high-level quantum chemical calculations. Borazine has three sites of negative electrostatic potential: the N atom, the ring center, and the H atom of the B-H bond, while TH3F and F2TO/H2TO provide the σ-hole and π-hole, respectively, for the tetrel bond. The N atom of borazine is the favored site for both the σ and π-hole tetrel bonds. Less stable dimers include a σ-tetrel bond to the borazine ring center and to the BH proton. The π-hole tetrel-bonded complexes are more strongly bound than aretheirσ-hole counterparts. Due to the coexistence of both T···N tetrel and B···O triel bonding, the complexes of borazine with F2TO/H2TO (T= Si and Ge) are very stable, with interaction energies up to -108 kcal/mol. The strongly bonded complexes are accompanied by substantial net charge transfer from F2TO/H2TO to borazine. Polarization energy makes a contribution comparable with electrostatic for the moderately or strongly bonded complexes but is small in their weaker analogues