Optimization using a remote control console for a digital computer

SIMULATION ◽  
1966 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.B. Kirby
Keyword(s):  
Digital Computer ◽  
Analog Computer ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Control Console ◽  
Current Interaction ◽  
Equipment Configuration ◽  
Tion System ◽  
Work Done ◽  
Machine Interaction ◽  
Param Eters

A general-purpose optimization program, using the meth ods of steepest descent and multidimensional Newton- Raphson, has been developed for the IBM 7094. The program can be used independently or as part of a man- machine optimization system in which the engineer can quickly appraise the effect of changes in problem param eters. Man-machine interaction at a remote location is provided through an experimental console which con sists of a Packard-Bell PB-250 computer and associated input-output equipment. The program and equipment configuration used for interaction will be described and an example of network optimization using this system will be presented. An optimization scheme which is designed for a digital computer offers a more sophisticated strategy and better accuracy than a scheme designed for an analog computer. The current interaction system is of limited form; never theless, work done with it has aided in defining the ob jectives for a more flexible man-digital machine interac tion system.

The design of an automatic patching system

SIMULATION ◽  
1968 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 281-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Starr ◽  
Jens J. Jonsson
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Digital Computer ◽  
Analog Computer ◽  
Master Of Science ◽  
The Third ◽  
Specialized Software ◽  
Work Done ◽  
Switching Devices

An automatic patching system for analog computers is proposed. The system patches any set of component ter minals together, yet size and cost are practical. The design is accomplished in three steps: First, a "model" analog computer is defined and its components divided into modules. Components within a module connect to one another through an "intraface" which allows any terminal to connect to any other ter minal. Problem sections are patched within the modules and then joined together by an "intermodular" trunking system. Secondly, the principle of module chaining permits in dividual modules to access a limited number of other modules, rather than all other modules. This reduces the number of patching switches required by the intermodular trunking system and reduces the overall number of switches required. The third step, called concentration, brings the required number of patching switches down to a practical value by assuming that all analog computer terminals will not be in use at once. Switching devices called "concentrators" exploit this fact to reduce switch requirements. The automatic patching system is driven by a digital computer under control of specialized software, and to gether with the automatic patching control system it can patch large problems in times of the order of fifteen sec onds. The information in this paper is a result of work done for a Master of Science thesis.1

Digital simulation of analog computation and Church's thesis

1989 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 1011-1017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee A. Rubel
Keyword(s):  
Digital Simulation ◽  
Analog Computer ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Algebraic Differential Equation ◽  
Analog Computation ◽  
Church’S Thesis ◽  
Black Boxes ◽  
Church's Thesis ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Given

Church's thesis, that all reasonable definitions of “computability” are equivalent, is not usually thought of in terms of computability by a continuous computer, of which the general-purpose analog computer (GPAC) is a prototype. Here we prove, under a hypothesis of determinism, that the analytic outputs of a C∞ GPAC are computable by a digital computer.In [POE, Theorems 5, 6, 7, and 8], Pour-El obtained some related results. (The proof there of Theorem 7 depends on her Theorem 2, for which the proof in [POE] is incorrect, but for which a correct proof is given in [LIR]. Also, the proof in [POE] of Theorem 8 depends on the unproved assertion that a solution of an algebraic differential equation must be analytic on an open subset of its domain. However, this assertion was later proved in [BRR].) As in [POE], we reduce the problem to a problem about solutions of certain systems of algebraic differential equations (ADE's). If such a system is nonsingular (i.e. if the “separant” does not vanish along the given solution), then the argument is very easy (see [VSD] for an even simpler situation), so that the essential difficulties arise from singular systems. Our main tools in handling these difficulties are drawn from the excellent (and difficult) paper [DEL] by Denef and Lipshitz. The author especially wants to thank Leonard Lipshitz for his kind help in the preparation of the present paper.We emphasize here that our proof of the simulation result applies only to the GPAC as described below. The GPAC's form a natural subclass of the class of all analog computers, and are based on certain idealized components (“black boxes”), mostly associated with the technology of past decades. One can easily envisage other kinds of black boxes of an input-output character that would lead to different kinds of analog computers. (For example, one could incorporate delays, or spatial integrators in addition to the present temporal integrators, etc.) Whether digital simulation is possible for these “extended” analog computers poses a rich and challenging set of research questions.

A Solution of the Flutter Determinant on a General Purpose Electronic Digital Computer

1957 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-203
Author(s):  
D. B. Gillies ◽  
P. M. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Digital Computer ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Structural Damping ◽  
Two Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Electronic Digital Computer

SummaryA method is given for the solution of the flutter determinant on a general purpose electronic digital computer. The method has been programmed for the N.R.D.C. 401 Computer and details of this programme are given. A quicker programme, applicable when only structural damping is present and there are two degrees of freedom, is also discussed. Appendix I discusses in detail the types of errors which occur when the method is applied and Appendix II considers the anticipated loss of accuracy which will be encountered when using the method in cases where the number of degrees of fredom is large.

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