Marisol B. Correia

Developing redundant binary representations for genetic search

This paper considers the development of redundant representations for evolutionary computation. Two new families of redundant binary representations are proposed in the context of a simple mutation-selection evolutionary model. The first is a family of linear encodings in which the connectivity of the search space may be designed directly via a decoding matrix. The second is a family of representations exhibiting various degrees of neutrality, and is constructed using mathematical tools from error-control coding theory. The study of these representations provides additional insight into the properties of redundant encodings, such as synonymity, locality, and connectivity, and into their interrelationships.

A study of redundancy and neutrality in evolutionary optimization

Some authors consider that evolutionary search may be positively influenced by the use of redundant representations, whereas others note that the addition of random redundancy to a representation could be useless in optimization. Given this lack of consensus, two new families of redundant binary representations are developed in this paper. The first family is based on linear transformations and is considered non-neutral. The second family of representations is designed to implement neutrality, and is based on the mathematical formulation of error control codes. A study aimed at assessing the influence of redundancy and neutrality on the performance of a simple evolutionary hillclimber is presented. The (1+1)-ES is modeled using Markov chains and is applied to NK fitness landscapes. The results indicate that the phenotypic neighborhood induced by a redundant representation dominates the behavior of the algorithm, affecting the search more strongly than neutrality, and the representations with better performance on NK fitness landscapes do not exhibit extreme values of any of the indicators of representation quality commonly adopted in the literature.

On the roles of redundancy and neutrality in evolutionary optimization: an experimental study

An experimental study was performed to explore whether it is neutrality itself or simply the larger neighborhoods associated with neutral representations that influence the results achieved by evolutionary algorithms on NK fitness landscape problems.Markov chains were used to model the behaviour of a stochastic hill-climber on NK fitness landscapes, using two different types of representation: a neutral network representation which exhibits neutrality and a redundant representation without neutrality which implements the same neighborhood induced by the corresponding neutral representation.

How redundancy and neutrality may affect evolution on NK fitness landscapes

An experimental study was performed to determine whether it is neutrality itself or the larger neighborhoods associated with neutral representations that allow good results to be achieved on NK fitness landscape problems. Markov chains were used to model a stochastic hill climber on NK fitness landscapes, using three types of representation: a neutral network representation, a redundant representation without neutrality which exhibits the same neighborhood of the neutral representation and a non-redundant representation.

The effect of redundancy and neutrality in genetic search

An experimental study aimed at assessing the influence of redundancy and neutrality on the performance of an (1+1)-ES evolution strategy modeled using Markov chains and applied to NK fitness landscapes is presented. For the study, two families of redundant binary representations, one non-neutral family which is based on linear transformations and that allows the phenotypic neighborhoods to be designed in a simple and effective way, and the neutral family based on the mathematical formulation of error control codes are used. The results indicate whether redundancy or neutrality affects more strongly the behavior of the algorithm used.

The Paradigm of the Cloud and Web Accessibility and its Consequences in Europe

The cloud computing is one of the technologies less known by many organizations and especially users, being a new technology based on the Internet, through which the information is stored on servers and is provided as a pay-for-usage service. The business benefits of the cloud extend to people with disabilities and industry needs to improve access to the cloud by ensuring that their cloud services are not limited to their own ecosystem, but they are following the W3C web accessibility requirements based on WCAG 2.0 and other requirements. The purpose of this paper is firstly to know the current situation of cloud computing and web accessibility from the perspective of the company, reviewing the existing literature. Secondly, we analyze the situation of the accessibility of cloud computing from a double scope: the European Union and, in particular, the situation in SMEs. Finally, the strategic positions of the European Commission about the consequences of the adoption of the cloud paradigm will be reviewed.

Marketing Intelligence and Automation – An Approach Associated with Tourism in Order to Obtain Economic Benefits for a Region

Technologies have revolutionized the way campaigns are developed in the digital medium, and how customers search for information and buy products or services. At the same time, the development of technologies has led to an exponential growth of information, a proliferation of data sources, and the emergence of new tools to support the process of building campaigns targeted at customers. In this context, there is a challenge to surmise that technologies can be the solution to improve communication and information dissemination through the development of digital marketing platforms. The platforms automate campaigns, by using and accessing information stored in the tourism and hospitality organizations’ Data Warehouse, to perform data analysis that include data mining techniques, bringing this way economic benefits for these organizations. The present article proposes a methodological framework for the development of a Marketing Intelligence Automation system, with the objective to facilitate the management of an integrated marketing strategy for online channels of hospitality and tourism organizations.

Challenges of Open Innovation in the Tourism Sector

ABSTRACT This study shows how the tourism sector is applying the new paradigm of open innovation (OI) supported by social media. We drew on a sample of 135 companies from the sector in the south of Portugal and Spain to perform a cluster analysis. Currently, OI is a challenge in tourism, and social media are a strategic tool. The main objective is to evaluate the impact of customer involvement in innovation performance. The results show positive impact of OI in new product development, moreover results derived in terms of turnover and competitiveness improve; however, it all depends on the innovation management model. Anyway, even today, formal adoption is still pending to achieve the desired outcomes but this research highlights how the sector is advancing in the direction of OI.

New insights on neutral binary representations for evolutionary optimization

This paper studies a family of redundant binary representations NN g ( ź , k ) , which are based on the mathematical formulation of error control codes, in particular, on linear block codes, which are used to add redundancy and neutrality to the representations. The analysis of the properties of uniformity, connectivity, synonymity, locality and topology of the NN g ( ź , k ) representations is presented, as well as the way an (1+1)-ES can be modeled using Markov chains and applied to NK fitness landscapes with adjacent neighborhood.The results show that it is possible to design synonymously redundant representations that allow an increase of the connectivity between phenotypes. For easy problems, synonymously NN g ( ź , k ) representations, with high locality, and where it is not necessary to present high values of connectivity are the most suitable for an efficient evolutionary search. On the contrary, for difficult problems, NN g ( ź , k ) representations with low locality, which present connectivity between intermediate to high and with intermediate values of synonymity are the best ones. These results allow to conclude that NN g ( ź , k ) representations with better performance in NK fitness landscapes with adjacent neighborhood do not exhibit extreme values of any of the properties commonly considered in the literature of evolutionary computation. This conclusion is contrary to what one would expect when taking into account the literature recommendations. This may help understand the current difficulty to formulate redundant representations, which are proven to be successful in evolutionary computation. Definition of neutral binary representations based on the formulation of error control codes.Presentation of properties as connectivity, synonymity, locality and topology of representations.An (1+1)-ES is modeled using Markov chains and is applied to NK fitness landscapes.Representations with better performance in NK landscapes do not exhibit extreme values of properties.This conclusion is contrary to what is expect taking into account the literature recommendations.