Whilst the notion of the ‘Reflective Space’ could arguably encompass many conceptual positions and propositions, for the purposes of this research investigation the ‘Reflective Space’ referred to in the title of this exegesis will focus upon what I consider as an emerging and growing consciousness of the natural world. As a theoretical and conceptual construct, the investigation considers how this growing consciousness can be seen to be expressed through the medium of representations of the Australian landscape. This work considers a number of contemporary theoretical positions and a number of relevant social and political questions; it also acknowledges that within such spheres of reflection, the issue of being sustainable in relation to our interactions and perceptions of this natural world looms as perhaps one of the most pressing of our time. While it will be acknowledged that the depiction of landscape enjoys a long-standing tradition within the Australian cultural mind, the suggestion will be made that certain aspects of these visualisations can be seen to be ‘reflective’ of a visual, cultural and physical degradation, and indeed even an apprehension of the physical ‘space’ that is represented as landscape. The investigation considers and reflects upon what can be observed as contentious and ambivalent attitudes expressed towards landscape perceived through works of art. Strategies for adopting a perceptual visual ethic grounded within the concepts and principles of sustainability will be presented for consideration. By applying such modes of interpretation to perceptions of land and landscape depiction, new appreciations for the cultural ‘space’ that is landscape will be developed. Such understandings will consider and reflect upon the temporal nature of our natural world. The thesis is this: that to be able to think and act in a sustainable fashion in relation to our environment, our perceptions and interpretations of visualisations of landscape must include a recognition that the land is a ‘temporal’ space, in which past and possible futures are immanent in the present. / PhD (Visual Arts)

It is well known that global optimization problems are, generally speaking, computationally infeasible, that is solving them would require an unreasonably large amount of time and/or space. In certain cases, for example, when objective functions and constraints are convex, it is possible to construct a feasible algorithm for solving global optimization problem successfully. Convexity, however, is not a phenomenon to be often expected in the applications. Nonconvex problems frequently arise in many industrial and scienti¯c areas. Therefore, it is only natural to try to replace convexity with some other structure at least for some classes of nonconvex optimization problems to render the global optimization problem feasible. A theory of abstract convexity has been developed as a result of the above considerations. Monotonic analysis, a branch of abstract convex analysis, is analogous in many ways to convex analysis, and sometimes is even simpler. It turned out that many problems of nonconvex optimization encountered in applications can be described in terms of monotonic functions. The analogies with convex analysis were considered to aid in solving some classes of nonconvex optimization problems. In this thesis we will focus on one of the elements of monotonic analysis - Increasing Positively Homogeneous functions of degree one or in short IPH functions. The aim of present research is to show that finding the solution and ²-approximation to the solution of the global optimization problem for IPH functions restricted to a unit simplex is an NP-hard problem. These results can be further extended to positively homogeneous functions of degree ´, ´ > 0. / Master of Mathematical Sciences (Research)

Doctor of Philosophy

The design of vehicle brake systems involves optimising a large number of competing parameters. In order to find an appropriate balance of properties, it is important to have a good picture of the range of operating conditions the system will operate under. Obtaining such information for a large range of driving conditions requires recording data over a long period from a number of vehicles under a number of different driving conditions. In this thesis, a proposed data acquisition system has been designed, constructed and implemented to measure and store in real-time performance related parameters of brake systems. The system proposed in this thesis to monitor brake performance employs a small embedded PC system along with a number of peripheral cards as its basis [...] / Masters

"The central focus of this study is an investigation into how the implementation of a clinical pathway for the surgical procedure of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) impacted on clinical quality, cost, and patient and staff satisfaction at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in Pakistan" / Doctor of Philosophy

This project is concerned with exploring a particular cluster of ideas and stories concerning Homecoming, most notably the presence of the Woman Who Waits for the traveller to return. Underlying the storied aspects of the visual work are the deeper intentions of soulfulness, personal therapy and social interaction. Although profoundly autobiographical, the metaphoric images I have produced are not only a means to touch others but are inclusive of a broader experience than simply my own. Throughout the following exegesis I draw on the disciplines of psychology, sociology, mythology and history, to explore the metaphoric presences of the deities Hestia and Hermes and their relationship to ideas of Home and Not - Home. Particular qualities associated with Home may, for the traveller, become symbolically embodied within the figure of The Woman Who Waits. This simple perception of The Woman Who Waits, and the process of waiting for the traveller to return was explored and expanded through autobiographic art practice combined with visual and theoretical research. Throughout the project the expression of emotive autobiographic issues through the running use of metaphor has been combined with increasing technical control and subtlety along with sustained explorations of spatial and compositional dynamics. / Masters (Visual Arts)

The design of vehicle brake systems involves optimising a large number of competing parameters. In order to find an appropriate balance of properties, it is important to have a good picture of the range of operating conditions the system will operate under. Obtaining such information for a large range of driving conditions requires recording data over a long period from a number of vehicles under a number of different driving conditions. In this thesis, a proposed data acquisition system has been designed, constructed and implemented to measure and store in real-time performance related parameters of brake systems. The system proposed in this thesis to monitor brake performance employs a small embedded PC system along with a number of peripheral cards as its basis [...] / Masters

"The central focus of this study is an investigation into how the implementation of a clinical pathway for the surgical procedure of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) impacted on clinical quality, cost, and patient and staff satisfaction at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in Pakistan" / Doctor of Philosophy

This research project into the manipulation of spatial concepts by artists on the two-dimensional surface plane, has involved a selected study into cultural and aesthetic evolution from early civilization through to the present era. I have cast a line of inquiry into eastern, western and primitive art practices, observing the journey of chance accelerated by developments in technology. Traditionally artists utilized modes of spatial convention and techniques according to the specific cultural traditions of the time and place of their production. By contrast, contemporary artists know no such boundaries, and are able to select from a range of spatial options relevant both to current forms of expression and to a personal visual language. My own art practice has been enriched and extended, increasing my ability to challenge the notion of still life composition by reversing the traditional hierarchy of form and space through the application of a series of experiments brought about by extensive research into this spatial evolution. The research project has further assisted this development in my art practice by engaging me in a new level of understanding of the topic, informing my perceptions and increasing my ability to translate a combination of forms in space with heightened emotion and personal meaning. / Master of Arts (Visual Arts)

"This project is concerned with a visual exploration of the land of the Western Plains of Victoria and the nature of "the sacred" in that landscape. Specifically, I have explored these ideas through the medium of painting and works on paper. The studio practice has been informed both by my personal experiencs of this geographic region and by research into the histories associated with white settlement and the subsequent forms of erasue of aboriginal presence." / Master of Arts- (Visual Arts)