Cognitive radio (CR) is a novel wireless communication approach that may alleviate the looming spectrum-shortage crisis. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is an attractive modulation candidate for CR systems. In this thesis, we study resource allocation (RA) for OFDM-based CR systems using both aggressive and protective sharing. In aggressive sharing, cognitive radio users (CRUs) can share both non-active and active primary user (PU) bands. We develop a model that describes aggressive sharing, and formulate a corresponding multidimensional knapsack problem (MDKP). Low-complexity suboptimal RA algorithms are proposed for both single and multiple CRU systems. A simplified model is proposed which provides a faster suboptimal solution. Simulation results show that the proposed suboptimal solutions are close to optimal, and that aggressive sharing of the whole band can provide a substantial performance improvement over protective sharing, which makes use of only the non-active PU bands. Although aggressive sharing generally yields a higher spectrum-utilization efficiency than protective sharing, aggressive sharing may not be feasible in some situations. In such cases, sharing only non-active PU bands is more appropriate. When there are no fairness or quality of service (QoS) considerations among CRUs, both theoretical analysis and simulation results show that plain equal power allocation (PEPA) yields similar performance as optimal power allocation in a multiuser OFDM-based CR system. We propose a low-complexity discrete bit PEPA algorithm. To improve spectrum-utilization efficiency, while considering the time-varying nature of the available spectrum as well as the fading characteristics of wireless communication channels and providing QoS provisioning and fairness among users, this thesis introduces the following novel algorithms: (1) a distributed RA algorithm that provides both fairness and efficient spectrum usage for ad hoc systems; (2) a RA algorithm for non-real-time (NRT) services that maintains average user rates proportionally on the downlink of multiuser OFDM-based CR systems; and (3) cross-layer RA algorithms for the downlink of multiuser OFDM-based CR systems for both real-time (RT) services and mixed (RT and NRT) services. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms provide satisfactory QoS to all supported services and perform better than existing algorithms designed for multiuser OFDM systems.

This work presents a static instruction allocation scheme for the precision timed architecture’s (PRET) scratchpad memory. Since PRET provides timing instructions to control the temporal execution of programs, the objective of the allocation scheme is to ensure that the explicitly specified temporal requirements are met. Furthermore, this allocation incorporates instructions from multiple hardware threads of the PRET architecture. We formulate the allocation as an integer-linear programming problem, and we implement a tool that takes binaries, constructs a control-flow graph, performs the allocation, rewrites the binary with the new allocation, and generates an output binary for the PRET architecture. We carry out experiments on a modified version of the Malardalen benchmarks to illustrate that commonly known ACET and WCET based approaches cannot be directly applied to meet explicit timing requirements. We also show the advantage of performing the allocation across multiple threads. We present a real time benchmark controlling an Unmanned Air Vehicle as the case study.

Abstract This research explores the problems of resource allocation during the process of internationalization by small and medium-sized manufacturing firms. The literature largely portrays a positive view of internationalization with respect to increased firm performance or growth. However, particularly for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises(SMEs), growth through internationalization increases uncertainty and may jeopardize firm performance and even threaten survival of the firm. The literature indicates that some SMEs fail during the process of expanding to foreign markets (Brewer 1981;Ramaswamy 1992; Mudambi and Zahra 2007). Many of these failures are due, in part,to the challenges of allocating limited resources during and after internationalization(Chen and Hsu 2009). Given the challenge of internationalizing, this research examines the influence of resource allocation on firm performance with the aim of providing recommendations on how entrepreneurs can make better resource allocation decisions that in turn may lead to improved performance. To address the problem of allocation of limited resources during and after internationalization, theoretical propositions are developed based on modern portfolio-theory (Markowitz 1952; 1959; 1991) that explains the risk-return tradeoffs with regards to resource allocation to domestic, U.S., and foreign markets and possible effects on firm performance. This research applies a multiple case-study approach based on critical realism, a qualitative philosophical research paradigm. Data collection is through in-depth interviews with executives of twenty-two small- and medium-sized manufacturing firms located in Canada. Within-case and cross-case analyses findings are used to confirm or modify the propositions, resulting in a descriptive model that best explains resource allocation decisions and the effects on performance. The findings indicate that resource allocations to domestic, U.S., and foreign markets have different contributions to overall firm performance. However, the way in which resource allocation trade-offs are decided between these markets is largely dependent on the firms or owners/manager’s disposition to risks and returns. Findings from this research also show that decisions by firm managers to allocate resources to a particular market depend on their assessment or anticipation of risks and the potential mitigation strategies that are required in order to maximize returns. This, consequently, determines the firm’s performance during the process of internationalization. This research contributes to the literature in international entrepreneurship, management of technology, and decision analysis. While there is an extensive body of literature that focuses on the output of internationalization (i.e., where, when, and how firms export their products), few studies have specifically examined the inputs that make this happen (one of these being the allocation of resources). Rugman et al. (2008) examines the resource allocation decision between domestic and foreign markets for Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) and the impact on firm performance. No known study has specifically explored resource allocation decisions between domestic, U.S., and foreign markets for SMEs and the influence on firm performance. This research fills the identified gap by making a significant theoretical contribution to this field by adopting portfolio theory to the challenge of allocating resources between domestic and foreign markets.

The objective of this thesis is to evaluate different models and methods for website classification. The websites are classified based on their functionality, in this case specifically whether they are forums, news sites or blogs. The analysis aims at solving a search engine problem, which means that it is interesting to know from which categories in a information search the results come. The data consists of two datasets, extracted from the web in January and April 2013. Together these data sets consist of approximately 40.000 observations, with each observation being the extracted text from the website. Approximately 7.000 new word variables were subsequently created from this text, as were variables based on Latent Dirichlet Allocation. One variable (the number of links) was created using the HTML-code for the web site. These data sets are used both in multinomial logistic regression with Lasso regularization, and to create a Naive Bayes classifier. The best classifier for the data material studied was achieved when using Lasso for all variables with multinomial logistic regression to reduce the number of variables. The  accuracy of this model is 99.70 %. When time dependency of the models is considered, using the first data to make the model and the second data for testing, the accuracy, however, is only 90.74 %. This indicates that the data is time dependent and that websites topics change over time.

Dans ce document, nous proposons un algorithme heuristique efficace pour résoudre le problème de partage spectral dynamique dans les réseaux de radios cognitives. Cet algorithme fonctionne selon les principes du paradigme de transmissions cognitives simultanées (en anglais underlay) où des utilisateurs primaires et des utilisateurs secondaires transmettent simultanément sur la même bande spectrale. L'algorithme proposé est basé sur un modèle théorique de graphe. Premièrement., le réseau de radios cognitives est modélisé en un graphe dont les sommets possèdent des poids. Le problème de partage spectral se réduit à colorier les sommets du graphe. Les décisions de partage spectral sont prises au niveau d'un serveur spectral qui coordonne les transmissions secondaires afin de trouver les paires (transmission secondaire/bande spectrale) qui maximisent le débit global du système. Le serveur spectral est aussi responsable de protéger les transmissions des utilisateurs primaires de l'interférence causée par les transmissions des utilisateurs secondaires. La réussite de cette tâche se base sur une allocation appropriée des puissances de transmission pour les utilisateurs secondaires. Grâce à des simulations bien élaborées, nous démontrons que les performances de l'algorithme proposé en terme de débit global sont proches de celles de l'algorithme optimal. Les performances de notre algorithme illustrent le gain en performances dû à une augmentation de la diversité de sélection de bande passante et à une diversité de sélection d'utilisateurs secondaires. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : algorithme de partage spectral, réseau de radios cognitives, théorie des graphes, systèmes de communication sans fil, simulation des réseaux.

Aquesta tesi presenta treball original i aplicat en l'àrea del control i la col·locació de sensors/actuadors (S/A) en sistemes de Control Actiu de Soroll (ANC). Primer, s'han aplicat tècniques de control i identificació robustes per a aconseguir ANC. La fase d'identificació està basada en una proposta d'identificació robusta orientada al control, considerant descripcions del sistema tant paramètriques com no-paramètriques, així com quantificant la incertesa. El disseny del controlador compara les estructures de control feedback (FB), feedforward (FF) i híbrida (FB/FF). El controlador feedback és sintetitzat i avaluat en el marc del control robust, i s'ha dissenyat utilitzant control òptim H∞ plantejat com un problema de sensibilitats mixtes. El controlador FF és un identificador adaptatiu, basat en l'algorisme σ robustament normalitzat. S'han desenvolupat dues propostes per a decidir quina de les estructures de control és més eficient, aplicades a un conducte de 4 metres amb soroll de banda ampla. A més a més, s'han mostrat de manera explícita els compromisos entre identificació i control, les limitacions inherents a un llaç de control feedback, així com qüestions relatives a la implementació de sistemes ANC. També s'han tractat altres qüestions com la relació entre acompliment, ordre del controlador, models paramètrics/no-paramètrics i implementació en processadors digitals de senyal (DSP), així com s'han comparat resultats teòrics i experimentals en el conducte. Les llacunes que encara resten entre teoria i pràctica en aquest tipus d'aplicacions també s'han resumit. D'altra banda, en aquest treball també es tracta el problema de com quantificar la col·locació de sensors i actuadors, amb la finalitat de controlar un sistema físic determinat. La mesura per a determinar la millor localització de S/A es basa en un criteri de llaç tancat orientat al control, el qual optimitza tant acompliment com qüestions pràctiques d'implementació. Aquesta mesura hauria de calcular-se abans del disseny, implementació i prova del controlador. La utilització d'aquesta mesura minimitza la prova combinatòria de controladors en totes les possibles combinacions de S/A. Per a aconseguir-ho, s'han definit diferents mesures que pesen l'acompliment potencial en llaç tancat, la robustesa, el número de condició de la planta (guanys relatius entrada/sortida (I/O)) així com altres qüestions d'implementació, com l'ordre del controlador. Aquestes poden calcular-se utilitzant software estàndard, tant per a models d'una-entrada-una-sortida (SISO) com per a models de múltiples-entrades-múltiples-sortides (MIMO) i poden aplicar-se a múltiples problemes d'enginyeria, ja siguin mecànics, acústics, aeroespacials, etc. En aquest treball, aquests resultats també s'han il·lustrat amb l'aplicació ANC presentada i validat amb dades experimentals. Com a resultat d'aplicar aquestes mesures, s'obté la localització de S/A que aconsegueix la millor atenuació del soroll en llaç tancat amb el menor ordre possible del controlador. / Esta tesis presenta trabajo original y aplicado en el área del control y la colocación de sensores/actuadores (S/A) en sistemas de Control Activo de Ruido (ANC). Primero, se han aplicado técnicas de control e identificación robustas para conseguir ANC. La fase de identificación está basada en una propuesta de identificación robusta orientada al control, considerando descripciones del sistema tanto paramétricas como no-paramétricas, así como cuantificando la incertidumbre. El diseño del controlador compara las estructuras de control feedback (FB), feedforward (FF) e híbrida (FB/FF). El controlador feedback es sintetizado y evaluado en el marco del control robusto, y se ha diseñado utilizando control óptimo H∞ planteado como un problema de sensibilidades mixtas. El controlador FF es un identificador adaptativo, basado en el algoritmo σ robustamente normalizado. Se han desarrollado dos propuestas para decidir cual de las estructuras de control es más eficiente, aplicadas a un conducto de 4 metros con ruido de banda ancha. Además, se han mostrado de manera explícita los compromisos entre identificación y control, las limitaciones inherentes a un lazo feedback, así como cuestiones relativas a la implementación de sistemas ANC. También se han tratado otras cuestiones como la relación entre desempeño, orden del controlador, modelos paramétricos/no-paramétricos e implementación en procesadores digitales de señal (DSP), así como se han comparado resultados teóricos y experimentales en el conducto. Las lagunas que aún quedan entre teoría y práctica en este tipo de aplicaciones también se han resumido. Por otra parte, en este trabajo se trata también el problema de como cuantificar la colocación de sensores y actuadores, con la finalidad de controlar un sistema físico determinado. La medida para determinar la mejor localización de S/A se basa en un criterio de lazo cerrado orientado al control, el cual optimiza tanto desempeño como cuestiones prácticas de implementación. Esta medida debería calcularse antes del diseño, implementación y prueba del controlador. La utilización de esta medida minimiza la prueba combinatoria de controladores en todas las posibles combinaciones de S/A. Para conseguirlo, se han definido distintas medidas que pesan el desempeño potencial en lazo cerrado, la robustez, el número de condición de la planta (ganancias relativas entrada/salida (I/O)) y otras cuestiones de implementación, como el orden del controlador. Éstas pueden calcularse utilizando software estándar, tanto para modelos de una-entrada-una-salida (SISO) como para modelos de múltiples-entradas-múltiples-salidas (MIMO) y pueden aplicarse a múltiples problemas ingenieriles, ya sean mecánicos, acústicos, aeroespaciales, etc. En este trabajo, estos resultados también son ilustrados con la aplicación ANC presentada y validados con datos experimentales. Como resultado de aplicar estas medidas, se obtiene la localización de S/A que consigue la mejor atenuación de ruido en lazo cerrado con el menor orden posible del controlador. / This thesis presents novel and applied work in the area of control and sensor/actuator (S/A) allocation in Active Noise Control (ANC) systems. First, robust identification and control techniques to perform ANC have been applied. The identification phase is based on a control-oriented robust identification approach that considers both parametric and nonparametric descriptions of the system, and quantifies the uncertainty. The controller design compares the feedback (FB), feedforward (FF) and hybrid (FB/FF) control structures. The feedback control is synthesized and evaluated in the robust control framework, and it is designed using H∞ optimal control as a mixed-sensitivity problem. The FF controller is an adaptive identifier, based on the robustly normalized σ-algorithm. Two approaches are developed to decide which control structure is more efficient on a 4-m duct example with broadband noise. In addition, the compromises between identification and control, the inherent limitations of feedback and implementation issues in ANC are explicitly pointed out. Relations between performance, controller order, parametric/nonparametric models and digital signal processor (DSP) implementation are discussed. Theoretical and experimental results on the duct are compared. The gaps that still remain between theory and practice in this type of applications, are also outlined. Furthermore, this work considers the problem of quantifying the location of sensors and actuators in order to control a certain physical system. The measure to determine the best S/A location is based on a closed loop control-oriented criteria, which optimizes overall performance and practical implementation issues. In addition, it should be computed before the actual controller is designed, implemented and tested. The use of this measure minimizes the combinatorial controller testing over all possible S/A combinations. To this end, several measures have been defined which weight the potential closed-loop performance, robustness, plant condition number (input/output (I/O) relative gains) and implementation issues, such as the controller order. These may be computed with standard software, either for Single Input Single Output (SISO) models or Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) models, and may be applied to many engineering problems: mechanics, acoustics, aerospace, etc. Here, these results are also illustrated with the prior ANC example and validated against experimental data. The outcome of applying these measures is the selection of the S/A location which achieves the best closed loop noise attenuation with the lowest possible controller order.

Multi-processor computers are becoming increasingly popular and are important for improving application performance. Providing high-performance memory-management is important for multi-threaded programs. This thesis looks at memory allocation of dynamic-allocation memory in concurrent C and C++ programs. The challenges facing the design of any memory allocator include minimizing fragmentation, and promoting good locality. A multi-threaded memory-allocator is also concerned with minimizing contention, providing mutual exclusion, avoiding false-sharing, and preventing heap-blowup (a form of fragmentation). Several potential features are identified in existing multi-threaded memory-allocators. These features include per-thread heaps with a global heap, object ownership, object containers, thread-local free-list buffers, remote free-lists, allocation buffers, and lock-free operations. When used in different combinations, these features can solve most of the challenges facing a multi-threaded memory-allocator. Through the use of a test suite composed of both single and multi-threaded benchmark programs, several existing memory allocators and a set of new allocators are compared. It is determined that different features address different multi-threaded issues in the memory allocator with respect to performance, scaling, and fragmentation. Finally, recommendations are made for the design of a general-purpose memory-allocator.

Modern processors have multiple pipelined functional units and can issue more than one instruction per clock cycle. This puts great pressure on the instruction scheduling phase in a compiler to expose maximum instruction level parallelism. Basic blocks and superblocks are commonly used regions of code in a program for instruction scheduling. Instruction scheduling coupled with register allocation is also a well studied problem to produce better machine code. Scheduling basic blocks and superblocks optimally with or with out register allocation is NP-complete, and is done sub-optimally in production compilers using heuristic approaches. In this thesis, I present a constraint programming approach to the superblock and basic block instruction scheduling problems for both idealized and realistic architectures. Basic block scheduling with register allocation with no spilling allowed is also considered. My models for both basic block and superblock scheduling are optimal and fast enough to be incorporated into production compilers. I experimentally evaluated my optimal schedulers on the SPEC 2000 integer and floating point benchmarks. On this benchmark suite, the optimal schedulers were very robust and scaled to the largest basic blocks and superblocks. Depending on the architectural model, between 99.991\% to 99.999\% of all basic blocks and superblocks were solved to optimality. The schedulers were able to routinely solve the largest blocks, including blocks with up to 2600 instructions. My results compare favorably to the best previous optimal approaches, which are based on integer programming and enumeration. My approach for basic block scheduling without allowing spilling was good enough to solve 97.496\% of all basic blocks in the SPEC 2000 benchmark. The approach was able to solve basic blocks as large as 50 instructions for both idealized and realistic architectures within reasonable time limits. Again, my results compare favorably to recent work on optimal integrated code generation, which is based on integer programming.

This research is concerned with bioenergy systems planning and optimization modelling in the context of locating biomass power plants and allocating available biomass feedstock to the active plants. Bioenergy, a promising renewable energy resource, has potentially significant benefits to climate change, global warming, and alternative energy supplies. As modern bioenergy applications in power production have the ability to generate cleaner electricity and reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions compared with traditional fossil fuels, many researchers have proposed various approaches to obtain competitive power generation prices from biomass in different ways. However, the highly dispersed geographical distribution of biomass is a big challenge for regional bioenergy systems planning. This thesis introduces an integrated methodology combining Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and discrete location theories for biomass availability assessment, biomass power plant candidate selection, and location-allocation of power plants and biomass supplies. Firstly, a well known discrete location model – the p-Median Problem (PMP) model is employed to minimize the weighted transportation costs of delivering all collectable biomass to active power plants. Then, a p-Uncapacitated Facility Location Problem (p-UFLP) model for minimizing the Levelized Unit Costs of Energy (LUCE) is proposed and genetic algorithms (GAs) for solving these optimization problems are investigated. To find the most suitable sites for constructing biomass power plants, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and GIS based suitability analysis are employed subject to economical, societal, public health, and environmental constraints and factors. These methods and models are aimed at evaluating available biomass, optimally locating biomass power plants and distributing all agricultural biomass to the active power plants. The significance of this dissertation is that a fully comprehensive approach mixed with the applications of GIS, spatial analysis techniques, an AHP method and discrete location theories has been developed to address regional bioenergy systems planning, involving agricultural biomass potential estimation, power plants siting, and facility locations and supplies allocation scenarios. With the availability of the spatial and statistical data, these models are capable of evaluating and identifying electric power generation from renewable bioenergy on the regional scale optimally. It thus provides the essential information to decision makers in bioenergy planning and renewable bioenergy management. An application sited in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario Canada is presented to demonstrate the analysis and modelling process.

Cooperative communication is a new class of wireless communication techniques in which wireless nodes help each other relay information and realize spatial diversity advantages in a distributed manner. This new transmission technique promises significant performance gains in terms of link reliability, spectral efficiency, system capacity, and transmission range. Analysis and design of cooperative communication wireless systems have been extensively studied over the last few years. The introduction and integration of cooperative communication in next generation wireless standards will lead to the design of an efficient and reliable fully-distributed wireless network. However, there are various technical challenges and open issues to be resolved before this promising concept becomes an integral part of the modern wireless communication devices. A common assumption in the literature on cooperative communications is the equal distribution of power among the cooperating nodes. Optimum power allocation is a key technique to realize the full potentials of relay-assisted transmission promised by the recent information-theoretic results. In this dissertation, we present a comprehensive framework for power allocation problem. We investigate the error rate performance of cooperative communication systems and further devise open-loop optimum power allocation schemes to optimize the performance. By exploiting the information about the location of cooperating nodes, we are able to demonstrate significant improvements in the system performance. In the first part of this dissertation, we consider single-relay systems with amplify-and-forward relaying. We derive upper bounds for bit error rate performance assuming various cooperation protocols and minimize them under total power constraint. In the second part, we consider a multi-relay network with decode-and-forward relaying. We propose a simple relay selection scheme for this multi-relay system to improve the throughput of the system, further optimize its performance through power allocation. Finally, we consider a multi-source multi-relay broadband cooperative network. We derive and optimize approximate symbol error rate of this OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) system.