Wir betrachten Optimalsteuerungsprobleme, die von partiellen Differentialgleichungen beziehungsweise Variationsungleichungen mit Differentialoperatoren erster Ordnung abhängen. Wir führen die Reformulierung eines Tagebauplanungsproblems, das auf stetigen Funktionen beruht, ein. Das Resultat ist ein Optimalsteuerungsproblem für Viskositätslösungen einer Eikonalgleichung. Die Existenz von Lösungen dieses und bestimmter Hilfsprobleme, die von semilinearen PDG‘s mit künstlicher Viskosität abhängen, wird bewiesen, Stationaritätsbedingungen hergeleitet und ein schwaches Konsistenzresultat für stationäre Punkte präsentiert. Des Weiteren betrachten wir Optimalsteuerungsprobleme, die von stationären Variationsungleichungen erster Art mit linearen Differentialoperatoren erster Ordnung abhängen. Wir diskutieren Lösbarkeit und Stationaritätskonzepte für diese Probleme. Für letzteres vergleichen wir Ergebnisse, die entweder durch die Anwendung von Penalisierungs- und Regularisierungsansätzen direkt auf Ebene von Differentialoperatoren erster Ordnung oder als Grenzwertprozess von Stationaritätssystemen für viskositätsregularisierte Optimalsteuerungsprobleme unter passenden Annahmen erhalten werden. Um die Konsistenz von ursprünglichem und regularisierten Problemen zu sichern, wird ein bekanntes Ergebnis für Lösungen von VU’s mit degeneriertem Differentialoperator erweitert. In beiden Fällen ist die erhaltene Stationarität schwächer als W-stationarität. Die theoretischen Ergebnisse werden anhand numerischer Beispiele verifiziert. Wir erweitern diese Ergebnisse auf Optimalsteuerungsprobleme bezüglich zeitabhängiger VU’s mit Differentialoperatoren erster Ordnung. Hierfür wird die Existenz von Lösungen bewiesen und erneut ein Stationaritätssystem mit Hilfe verschwindender Viskositäten unter bestimmten Beschränktheitsannahmen hergeleitet. Die erhaltenen Ergebnisse werden anhand von numerischen Beispielen verifiziert. / We consider problems of optimal control subject to partial differential equations and variational inequality problems with first order differential operators. We introduce a reformulation of an open pit mine planning problem that is based on continuous functions. The resulting formulation is a problem of optimal control subject to viscosity solutions of a partial differential equation of Eikonal Type. The existence of solutions to this problem and auxiliary problems of optimal control subject to regularized, semilinear PDE’s with artificial viscosity is proven. For the latter a first order optimality condition is established and a mild consistency result for the stationary points is proven. Further we study certain problems of optimal control subject to time-independent variational inequalities of the first kind with linear first order differential operators. We discuss solvability and stationarity concepts for such problems. In the latter case, we compare the results obtained by either utilizing penalization-regularization strategies directly on the first order level or considering the limit of systems for viscosity-regularized problems under suitable assumptions. To guarantee the consistency of the original and viscosity-regularized problems of optimal control, we extend known results for solutions to variational inequalities with degenerated differential operators. In both cases, the resulting stationarity concepts are weaker than W-stationarity. We validate the theoretical findings by numerical experiments for several examples. Finally, we extend the results from the time-independent to the case of problems of optimal control subject to VI’s with linear first order differential operators that are time-dependent. After establishing the existence of solutions to the problem of optimal control, a stationarity system is derived by a vanishing viscosity approach under certain boundedness assumptions and the theoretical findings are validated by numerical experiments.

Dans la première partie de ce manuscrit nous étudions les fonctions rationnelles, c'est-à-dire définies par des transducteurs unidirectionnels. Notre objectif est d'étendre aux transductions les nombreuses correspondances logique-algèbre qui ont été établies concernant les langages, notamment le célèbre théorème de Schützenberger-McNaughton-Papert. Dans le cadre des fonctions rationnelles sur les mots finis, nous obtenons une caractérisation à la Myhill-Nerode en termes de congruences d'indice fini. Cette caractérisation nous permet d'obtenir un résultat de transfert, à partir d'équivalences logique-algèbre pour les langages vers des équivalences pour les transductions. En particulier nous montrons comment décider si une fonction rationnelle est définissable en logique du premier ordre. Sur les mots infinis, nous pouvons également décider la définissabilité en logique du premier ordre, mais avec des résultats moins généraux.Dans la seconde partie nous introduisons une logique pour les transductions et nous résolvons le problème de synthèse régulière : étant donnée une formule de la logique, peut-on obtenir un transducteur bidirectionnel déterministe satisfaisant la formule ? Les fonctions réalisées par des transducteurs bidirectionnels déterministes sont caractérisés par plusieurs modèles différents, y compris par les transducteurs MSO, et ont ainsi été nommées transductions régulières. Plus précisément nous fournissons un algorithme qui produit toujours une fonction régulière satisfaisant une spécification donnée en entrée.Nous exposons également un lien intéressant entre les transductions et les mots avec données. Par conséquent nous obtenons une logique expressive pour les mots avec données, pour laquelle le problème de satisfiabilité est décidable. / In the first part of this manuscript we focus on the study of rational functions, functions defined by one-way transducers.Our goal is to extend to transductions the many logic-algebra correspondences that have been established for languages, such as the celebrated Schützenberger-McNaughton-Papert Theorem. In the case of rational functions over finite words, we obtain a Myhill-Nerode-like characterization in terms of congruences of finite index. This characterization allows us to obtain a transfer result from logic-algebra equivalences for languages to logic-algebra equivalences for transductions. In particular, we show that one can decide if a rational function can be defined in first-order logic.Over infinite words, we obtain weaker results but are still able to decide first-order definability.In the second part we introduce a logic for transductions and solve the regular synthesis problem: given a formula in the logic, can we obtain a two-way deterministic transducer satisfying the formula?More precisely, we give an algorithm that always produces a regular function satisfying a given specification.We also exhibit an interesting link between transductions and words with ordered data. Thus we obtain as a side result an expressive logic for data words with decidable satisfiability.

Dans cette thèse nous proposons un modèle temporel dans le cadre des machines à états abstraits (ASM). Une extension du langage de spécification ASM est développé qui correspond à ce modéle temporel pour le temps continu. L'extension du langage avec des constructions de temps permet de diminuer la taille de la spécification et donc de réduire la probabilité d'erreurs. La sémantique de l'extension du langage ASM est fournie et prend en compte les définitions des fonctions externes, les valeurs des délais et les choix de résolution des non-déterminismes. Un sous-système de vérification des propriétés exprimées en logique FOTL (FirstOrder Timed Logic) est développé. Un simulateur d'ASMs temporisées est développé et implémenté, il comprend un analyseur syntaxique, un interprète du langage, un sous-système de vérification des propriétés ainsi qu'une interface graphique / In this thesis a temporal model for abstract state machines (ASM) method is pro- posed. An extension of ASM specification language on the base of the proposed temporal model with continuous time is developed. The language extension helps to reduce the size of the specification hence to diminish the probability of an error. The semantics of the extended ASM language is developed which takes into account the definitions of external functions, the values of time delays and the method of non-determinism resolving. A subsystem for verification of user properties in the FOTL language is developed. A simulator prototype for ASMs with time is developed and implemented. It includes the parser of the timed ASM language, the interpreter, the verification subsystem and the graphical user interface

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T17:27:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cassia Sampaio Sanctos.pdf: 875084 bytes, checksum: 3baa23ce43e41c748fa70bf983f30e20 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-11 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The thesis constitutes a critical review of Gödel´s doctoral dissertation which presents a proof for the completeness of first order logic. The introduction addresses the concepts of formalism, axiomatic method and completeness, thus the proof can be contextualized. The language for the restricted functional calculus is defined, with the corresponding syntax and semantics, and the original Gödel´s demonstration is updated. The appendix contains a translation of the referred dissertation, which is unprecedented in Portuguese / O trabalho constitui um comentário crítico da dissertação de doutorado de Gödel que apresenta uma prova de completude da lógica de primeira ordem. A introdução trata dos conceitos de formalismo, método axiomático e completude, para que seja possível contextualizar a prova. A linguagem para o cálculo funcional restrito é definida, com sua sintaxe e semântica, e a demonstração original de Gödel é atualizada. O apêndice contém a tradução da referida dissertação, que é inédita em língua portuguesa

A Mata Atlântica sofreu e ainda sofre forte pressão antrópica. Atualmente, ocupa no Estado de São Paulo o equivalente a 15% de sua cobertura original. O rio Paraíba do Sul é um dos mais importantes rios da Floresta Atlântica, localizado na região mais desenvolvida do país. Há uma falta de investigações aprofundadas sobre a estruturação e o funcionamento desse rio e de outros rios localizados nessa floresta, como rios de 1ª ordem, que são extremamente importantes, pois conseguem conectar o ambiente terrestre com os rios maiores. Assim, esse trabalho objetivou investigar a distribuição de C e N e outras variáveis físico-químicas nos principais rios localizados na Bacia do Alto Paraíba do Sul: o Rio Paraíba do Sul (RPS) e seus formadores, os rios Paraibuna (RPB) e Paraitinga (RPT), além de investigar a composição química de pequenos rios localizados nas áreas preservadas da Mata Atlântica, comparando-os com os rios de 3ª ordem, e também verificar como a conversão de floresta a pastagem afeta a distribuição de carbono e nitrogênio nesses riachos. Foram realizadas coletas mensais de água durante fevereiro de 2012 a janeiro de 2013, onde foram verificados os valores de pH, condutividade elétrica, oxigênio dissolvido e temperatura, além da determinação das concentrações de nitrogênio dissolvido total, nitrogênio inorgânico dissolvido, nitrogênio orgânico dissolvido, nitrato, amônio, carbono orgânico dissolvido e carbono inorgânico dissolvido. Foi amostrado, também o material particulado em suspensão nos rios de 3ª ordem e o sedimento de fundo em alguns desses rios, onde foram realizadas análises de ?13C e ?15N, conteúdos de C e N e relação C:N. Quase a totalidade das amostras de amônio apresentaram concentrações abaixo do limite de detecção. Os resultados encontrados mostram diferenças estatísticas entre o rio Paraibuna e os rios Paraitinga e Paraíba do Sul, no que se refere aos valores de condutividade elétrica, oxigênio dissolvido, temperatura, nitrato, nitrogênio dissolvido total e carbono inorgânico dissolvido. Esses rios apresentaram valores de nitrato, nitrogênio inorgânico, nitrogênio orgânico, nitrogênio dissolvido total, carbono inorgânico dissolvido, pH, condutividade elétrica, oxigênio dissolvido e temperatura diferentes dos rios de 1ª ordem. Entre rios de floresta e pastagem as variáveis carbono inorgânico dissolvido, condutividade elétrica e temperatura foram diferentes. Esses resultados sugerem que o rio Paraibuna difere-se dos outros rios de 3ª ordem, provavelmente porque 55% da área total de sua bacia é ocupada por floresta, enquanto os rios Paraitinga e Paraíba do Sul apresentam grande parte de suas bacias ocupada por pastagem, 57% e 42%, respectivamente. Entretanto, esses rios não apresentam características de rios extremamente alterados, como é o caso de outros rios do estado de São Paulo, localizados em áreas urbanas ou de cana-de-açúcar, que são muito mais impactantes que pastagens. Tanto os rios de 3ª ordem quanto os rios de 1ª ordem apresentam pastagens subutilizadas e que não recebem fertilizantes ou insumos, fazendo, dessa maneira, com que os rios de pastagem não apresentem características tão diferentes dos rios de floresta / The Atlantic Forest suffered and continues suffering anthropogenic pressure. Nowadays, it occupies 15% of its original coverage in the state of São Paulo. The Paraíba do Sul River is one of the most important rivers of the Atlantic Forest, located in the most developed region of the country. There is a lack of deeper studies of the structure and functioning of this and other rivers of this forest, as first order rivers, that are extremely important, because they can connect terrestrial environment to larger rivers. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the distribution of C and N and other physicochemical variables of the main rivers located at the Alto Paraíba do Sul Basin: the Paraíba do Sul River (RPS) an its formers, the Paraibuna (RPB) and Paraitinga (RPT) rivers, also investigating the chemical composition of small rivers located in preserved areas of Atlantic Forest, comparing them with third order rivers, and also focused on the verification of how the conversion of forest to pasture affects the distribution of carbon and nitrogen in these streams. Monthly samples of water were taken from February 2012 to January 2013, for verification of pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen and temperature values, plus the determination of total dissolved nitrogen, inorganic dissolved nitrogen, organic dissolved nitrogen, nitrate, ammonium, organic dissolved carbon and inorganic dissolved carbon concentrations. Suspended particulate material of the 3rd order rivers and their bottom sediment were sampled, for determination of ?13C, ?15N and C and N content, besides the C:N ratio. The majority of ammonium samples presented concentrations below detection limit. The results show significant statistical differences between the Paraibuna and the Paraitinga and Paraiba do Sul rivers, concerning the values of electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, nitrate, total dissolved nitrogen and inorganic dissolved carbon. These 3rd order rivers presented nitrate, inorganic nitrogen, organic nitrogen, total dissolved nitrogen and dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations, plus pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen and temperature values different from 1st order rivers. Among the forest and pasture rivers the dissolved inorganic carbon concentration, electrical conductivity and temperature values were different. The results suggest that the Paraibuna River differs from the other two 3rd order rivers, probably because 55% of its total basin area is covered with forest, while the Paraitinga and Paraiba do Sul rivers present a great part of their basin area occupied with pastures, 57% and 42%, respectively. Nevertheless, these rivers did not present characteristics of extremely altered rivers, which is the reality of other rivers of the State of São Paulo, located in urban or sugar cane crop areas, which can cause much more impacts to rivers than pasture. The 3rd and 1st order rivers present sub utilized pasture that do not receive fertilizers, thereby, being the probable cause why pasture rivers are not so different from the forest rivers

Les algorithmes convexes de résolution pour les régressions linéaires parcimonieuses possèdent de bonnes performances pratiques et théoriques. Cependant, ils souffrent tous des dimensions du problème qui dictent la complexité de chacune de leur itération. Nous proposons une approche pour réduire ce coût calculatoire au niveau de l'itération. Des stratégies récentes s'appuyant sur des tests d'élimination de variables ont été proposées pour accélérer la résolution des problèmes de régressions parcimonieuse pénalisées tels que le LASSO. Ces approches reposent sur l'idée qu'il est profitable de dédier un petit effort de calcul pour localiser des atomes inactifs afin de les retirer du dictionnaire dans une étape de prétraitement. L'algorithme de résolution utilisant le dictionnaire ainsi réduit convergera alors plus rapidement vers la solution du problème initial. Nous pensons qu'il existe un moyen plus efficace pour réduire le dictionnaire et donc obtenir une meilleure accélération : à l'intérieur de chaque itération de l'algorithme, il est possible de valoriser les calculs originalement dédiés à l'algorithme pour obtenir à moindre coût un nouveau test d'élimination dont l'effet d'élimination augmente progressivement le long des itérations. Le dictionnaire est alors réduit de façon dynamique au lieu d'être réduit de façon statique, une fois pour toutes, avant la première itération. Nous formalisons ce principe d'élimination dynamique à travers une formulation algorithmique générique, et l'appliquons en intégrant des tests d'élimination existants, à l'intérieur de plusieurs algorithmes du premier ordre pour résoudre les problèmes du LASSO et Group-LASSO. / Applications in signal processing and machine learning make frequent use of sparse regressions. Resulting convex problems, such as the LASSO, can be efficiently solved thanks to first-order algorithms, which are general, and have good convergence properties. However those algorithms suffer from the dimension of the problem, which impose the complexity of their iterations. In this thesis we study approaches, based on screening tests, aimed at reducing the computational cost at the iteration level. Such approaches build upon the idea that it is worth dedicating some small computational effort to locate inactive atoms and remove them from the dictionary in a preprocessing stage so that the regression algorithm working with a smaller dictionary will then converge faster to the solution of the initial problem. We believe that there is an even more efficient way to screen the dictionary and obtain a greater acceleration: inside each iteration of the regression algorithm, one may take advantage of the algorithm computations to obtain a new screening test for free with increasing screening effects along the iterations. The dictionary is henceforth dynamically screened instead of being screened statically, once and for all, before the first iteration. Our first contribution is the formalisation of this principle and its application to first-order algorithms, for the resolution of the LASSO and Group-LASSO. In a second contribution, this general principle is combined to active-set methods, whose goal is also to accelerate the resolution of sparse regressions. Applying the two complementary methods on first-order algorithms, leads to great acceleration performances.

<p>To improve the adsorption capacity of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibres, hydrophilic amidoxime fibres were prepared by subsequent conversion of the cyano groups to an amidoxime group by reacting with hydroxylamine at 80&deg / C at an optimum amidoximation time of 2 hrs. The amidoxime fibre was hydrolyzed/alkali treated in a solution of sodium hydroxide to enhance or improve the adsorption properties. This was followed by characterization of the amidoxime and hydrolyzed fibres using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) / Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and exchange capacity (cationic and anionic). SEM showed that the hydrolysis process made the surface of Amidoxime fibre rougher than that of Polyacrylonitrile fibre. FTIR revealed that the hydrolyzed Amidoxime fibres contained conjugated imine (-C=N-) sequences. Functionalization enhanced the sorption of amidoxime fibres by an increase of 20 % in the cationic exchange capacity. This was achieved by the part conversion of the cyano groups into the carboxylic acid groups. The fibres showed faster kinetics largely due the available exchange sites on the surface of the fibres hence the equilibration was achieved much quicker.</p>

An abstract knowledge representation of cognitive robots - as used for reasoning and planning - typically relies on symbols denoting objects of the world and states of affairs. The process of creating and maintaining the correct connection between a symbol denoting an object and its corresponding perceptual image (called percept), both referring to the same physical object, is called symbol anchoring. Most current cognitive systems implement an ad hoc solution which may work for the specific, intended application under certain conditions. Conversely, we suggest a formal and general approach to the symbol anchoring problem, which enhances previous approaches in terms of flexibility, applicability and expressiveness, and which completely automates the process of determining and maintaining all plausible hypotheses of correspondences between object symbols and perceptual images of physical objects. Based on the first-order logical Fluent Calculus, our approach inherits its rich expressiveness with respect to knowledge representation and reasoning. Implementing all required symbol anchoring functionalities, our approach also complies with fundamental concepts of phenomenalism, representationalism and the sense-data theory of philosophy of cognition.

The reliability analysis of plates and shells with respect to plastic collapse or to inadaptation is formulated on the basis of limit and shakedown theorems. The loading, the material strength and the shell thickness are considered as random variables. Based on a direct definition of the limit state function, the nonlinear problems may be efficiently solved by using the First and Second Order Reliability Methods (FORM/SORM). The sensitivity analyses in FORM/SORM can be based on the sensitivities of the deterministic shakedown problem. The problem of reliability of structural systems is also handled by the application of a special barrier technique which permits to find all the design points corresponding to all the failure modes. The direct plasticity approach reduces considerably the necessary knowledge of uncertain input data, computing costs and the numerical error. / Die Zuverlässigkeitsanalyse von Platten und Schalen in Bezug auf plastischen Kollaps oder Nicht-Anpassung wird mit den Traglast- und Einspielsätzen formuliert. Die Lasten, die Werkstofffestigkeit und die Schalendicke werden als Zufallsvariablen betrachtet. Auf der Grundlage einer direkten Definition der Grenzzustandsfunktion kann die Berechnung der Versagenswahrscheinlichkeit effektiv mit den Zuverlässigkeitsmethoden erster und zweiter Ordnung (FROM/SORM) gelöst werden. Die Sensitivitätsanalysen in FORM/SORM lassen sich auf der Basis der Sensitivitäten des deterministischen Einspielproblems berechnen. Die Schwierigkeiten bei der Ermittlung der Zuverlässigkeit von strukturellen Systemen werden durch Anwendung einer speziellen Barrieremethode behoben, die es erlaubt, alle Auslegungspunkte zu allen Versagensmoden zu finden. Die Anwendung direkter Plastizitätsmethoden führt zu einer beträchtlichen Verringerung der notwendigen Kenntnis der unsicheren Eingangsdaten, des Berechnungsaufwandes und der numerischen Fehler.

Les personnes ayant un trouble du spectre autistique (TSA) manifestent des particularités perceptives. En vision, des travaux influents chez les adultes ont mené à l’élaboration d’un modèle explicatif du fonctionnement perceptif autistique qui suggère que l’efficacité du traitement visuel varie en fonction de la complexité des réseaux neuronaux impliqués (Hypothèse spécifique à la complexité). Ainsi, lorsque plusieurs aires corticales sont recrutées pour traiter un stimulus complexe (e.g., modulations de texture; attributs de deuxième ordre), les adultes autistes démontrent une sensibilité diminuée. À l’inverse, lorsque le traitement repose principalement sur le cortex visuel primaire V1 (e.g., modulations locales de luminance; attributs de premier ordre), leur sensibilité est augmentée (matériel statique) ou intacte (matériel dynamique). Cette dissociation de performance est spécifique aux TSA et peut s’expliquer, entre autre, par une connectivité atypique au sein de leur cortex visuel. Les mécanismes neuronaux précis demeurent néanmoins méconnus. De plus, on ignore si cette signature perceptuelle est présente à l’enfance, information cruciale pour les théories perceptives de l’autisme. Le premier volet de cette thèse cherche à vérifier, à l’aide de la psychophysique et l’électrophysiologie, si la double dissociation de performance entre les attributs statiques de premier et deuxième ordre se retrouve également chez les enfants autistes d’âge scolaire. Le second volet vise à évaluer chez les enfants autistes l’intégrité des connexions visuelles descendantes impliquées dans le traitement des textures. À cet effet, une composante électrophysiologique reflétant principalement des processus de rétroaction corticale a été obtenue lors d’une tâche de ségrégation des textures. Les résultats comportementaux obtenus à l’étude 1 révèlent des seuils sensoriels similaires entre les enfants typiques et autistes à l’égard des stimuli définis par des variations de luminance et de texture. Quant aux données électrophysiologiques, il n’y a pas de différence de groupe en ce qui concerne le traitement cérébral associé aux stimuli définis par des variations de luminance. Cependant, contrairement aux enfants typiques, les enfants autistes ne démontrent pas une augmentation systématique d’activité cérébrale en réponse aux stimuli définis par des variations de texture pendant les fenêtres temporelles préférentiellement associées au traitement de deuxième ordre. Ces différences d’activation émergent après 200 ms et engagent les aires visuelles extrastriées des régions occipito-temporales et pariétales. Concernant la connectivité cérébrale, l’étude 2 indique que les connexions visuelles descendantes sont fortement asymétriques chez les enfants autistes, en défaveur de la région occipito-temporale droite. Ceci diffère des enfants typiques pour qui le signal électrophysiologique reflétant l’intégration visuo-corticale est similaire entre l’hémisphère gauche et droit du cerveau. En somme, en accord avec l’hypothèse spécifique à la complexité, la représentation corticale du traitement de deuxième ordre (texture) est atypiquement diminuée chez les enfants autistes, et un des mécanismes cérébraux impliqués est une altération des processus de rétroaction visuelle entre les aires visuelles de haut et bas niveau. En revanche, contrairement aux résultats obtenus chez les adultes, il n’y a aucun indice qui laisse suggérer la présence de mécanismes supérieurs pour le traitement de premier ordre (luminance) chez les enfants autistes. / Atypical perceptual information processing is commonly described in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In the visual modality, influential work with autistic adults suggests altered connectivity within specialized local networks defining the response properties of stimulus-driven mechanisms. This has led to the development of a hypothesis that stipulates that the efficiency of autistic visual perception is contingent on the complexity of the neural network involved (Complexity-specific hypothesis). When several cortical areas must communicate with each other (as in texture-defined perception, also called second-order), reduced sensitivity to visual input is observed in autistic individuals. In contrast, when visual processing predominately relies on the primary visual cortex V1 (as in luminance-defined perception, also called first-order), their sensitivity is either enhanced (stationary stimuli) or intact (moving stimuli). This dissociation in performance is unique to ASD and suggests atypical connectivity within their visual cortex. The precise type of neural alteration remains unknown, however. In addition, studies focusing on younger individuals are needed to define the developmental trajectories of perceptual abilities in autism. This issue is crucial for perceptual theories of ASD. The first experiment aims to investigate whether the dissociation regarding first- and second-order spatial vision is also present in school-aged children with autism. We combined the use of behavioural (psychophysics) and neuroimaging (visual evoked potentials: VEPs) methods. The second experiment was designed to assess the integrity of one type of neural connections that are known to be involved in texture processing: feedback processes from extrastriate areas towards lower hierarchical levels (V1). As such, we used a visual texture segregation task and isolated a texture-segregation specific VEP component that mainly reflects feedback modulation in the visual cortex. Behavioural measures from the first experiment do not reveal differences in visual thresholds between typically developing and autistic children for both luminance- and texture-defined stimuli. With respect to electrophysiology, there is no group difference in brain activity associated with luminance-defined stimuli. However, unlike typical children, autistic children do not reliably show reliable enhancements of brain activity in response to texture-defined stimuli during time-windows more closely associated with second-order processing. These differences emerge after 200 msec post-stimulation and mainly involve extrastriate areas located over occipito-temporal and parietal scalp areas. Regarding the second experiment, the texture-segregation specific VEP component is found to be greatly diminished over the right as compared to the left occipito-lateral cortex in autism, while it shows no hemispheric asymmetry in typically developing children. In summary, in line with the complexity-specific hypothesis, cortical representation of second-order attributes (texture) is atypically reduced in autistic children. This thesis further reveals that altered feedback from extrastriate visual areas to lower areas (V1) is one of the neuronal mechanisms involved in atypical texture processing. In contrast, contrary to the results obtained in adults with autism, first-order vision (luminance) is not found to be superior in autistic children.