This is a study of a method of thinking in the social sciences known as the loop concept. This concept underlies the notions of feedback and circular causality. The author attempts to illuminate the significance of classical and contemporary feedback thinking in social science and social policy.

The importance of the energy and commodity markets has steadily increased since the first oil crisis. The sustained use of energy and other resources has become a basic requirement for a company to competitively perform on the market. The modeling, analysis and assessment of dynamic production processes is often performed using simulation software. While existing approaches mainly focus on the consideration of resource consumption variables based on metrologically collected data on operating states, the aim of this work is to depict the energy consumption of production plants through the utilization of a continuous simulation approach in combination with a discrete approach for the modeling of material flows and supporting logistic processes. The complex interactions between the material flow and the energy usage in production can thus be simulated closer to reality, especially the depiction of energy consumption peaks becomes possible. An essential step towards reducing energy consumption in production is the optimization of the energy use of non-value-adding production phases.

Simulation-Based Optimization: Parametric Optimization Techniques and Reinforcement Learning introduce the evolving area of static and dynamic simulation-based optimization. Covered in detail are model-free optimization techniques – especially designed for those discrete-event, stochastic systems which can be simulated but whose analytical models are difficult to find in closed mathematical forms. Key features of this revised and improved Second Edition include: · Extensive coverage, via step-by-step recipes, of powerful new algorithms for static simulation optimization, including simultaneous perturbation, backtracking adaptive search and nested partitions, in addition to traditional methods, such as response surfaces, Nelder-Mead search and meta-heuristics (simulated annealing, tabu search, and genetic algorithms) · Detailed coverage of the Bellman equation framework for Markov Decision Processes (MDPs), along with dynamic programming (value and policy iteration) for discounted, average, and total reward performance metrics · An in-depth consideration of dynamic simulation optimization via temporal differences and Reinforcement Learning: Q-Learning, SARSA, and R-SMART algorithms, and policy search, via API, Q-P-Learning, actor-critics, and learning automata · A special examination of neural-network-based function approximation for Reinforcement Learning, semi-Markov decision processes (SMDPs), finite-horizon problems, two time scales, case studies for industrial tasks, computer codes (placed online) and convergence proofs, via Banach fixed point theory and Ordinary Differential Equations Themed around three areas in separate sets of chapters – Static Simulation Optimization, Reinforcement Learning and Convergence Analysis – this book is written for researchers and students in the fields of engineering (industrial, systems, electrical and computer), operations research, computer science and applied mathematics.

This book has resulted from the activities of IFAC TC 5.2 “Manufacturing Modelling for Management and Control”. The book offers an introduction and advanced techniques of scheduling applications to cloud manufacturing and Industry 4.0 systems for larger audience. This book uncovers fundamental principles and recent developments in the theory and application of scheduling methodology to cloud manufacturing and Industry 4.0. The purpose of this book is to present recent developments in scheduling in cloud manufacturing and Industry 4.0 and to systemize these developments in new taxonomies and methodological principles to shape this new research domain. This book addresses the needs of both researchers and practitioners to uncover the challenges and opportunities of scheduling techniques’ applications to cloud manufacturing and Industry 4.0. For the first time, it comprehensively conceptualizes scheduling in cloud manufacturing and Industry 4.0 systems as a new research domain. The chapters of the book are written by the leading international experts and utilize methods of operations research, industrial engineering and computer science. Such a multi-disciplinary combination is unique and comprehensively deciphers major problem taxonomies, methodologies, and applications to scheduling in cloud manufacturing and Industry 4.0.

"This book opens up the world of simulation to you by providing the basics of general simulation techonology, identifying the skills needed for successful simulation projects, and introducting a state-of-the-art simulation package." --

Besides scheduling problems for single and parallel machines and shop scheduling problems, the book covers advanced models involving due-dates, sequence dependent change-over times and batching. A discussion of multiprocessor task scheduling and problems with multi-purpose machines is accompanied by the methods used to solve such problems, such as polynomial algorithms, dynamic programming procedures, branch-and-bound algorithms and local search heuristics, and the whole is rounded off with an analysis of complexity issues.

The evolution of industrial development since the 18th century is now experiencing the fourth industrial revolution. The effect of the development has propagated into almost every sector of the industry. From inventory to the circular economy, the effectiveness of technology has been fruitful for industry. The recent trends in research, with new ideas and methodologies, are included in this book. Several new ideas and business strategies are developed in the area of the supply chain management, logistics, optimization, and forecasting for the improvement of the economy of the society and the environment. The proposed technologies and ideas are either novel or help modify several other new ideas. Different real life problems with different dimensions are discussed in the book so that readers may connect with the recent issues in society and industry. The collection of the articles provides a glimpse into the new research trends in technology, business, and the environment.