Way Kuo - Böcker

Optimal Reliability Design, first published in 2000, provides a detailed introduction to systems reliability and reliability optimization. Techniques for maximizing system reliability are described, focusing on component reliability enhancement and redundancy arrangement. The authors present several case studies and show how optimization techniques are applied in practice. They also pay particular attention to finding methods that give the optimal trade-off between reliability and cost. The book begins with a review of key background material, and a discussion of a range of optimization models. The authors go on to cover optimization tools, such as heuristics, discrete optimization, nonlinear programming, mixed integer programming, optimal arrangement, and metaheuristic algorithms. They also describe the computational implementation of these tools. Many numerical examples are included, and the book contains over 180 homework exercises. It is suitable as a textbook for graduate-level courses in reliability engineering and operations research. It will also be a valuable reference for practising engineers.

Optimal Reliability Design, first published in 2000, provides a detailed introduction to systems reliability and reliability optimization. Techniques for maximizing system reliability are described, focusing on component reliability enhancement and redundancy arrangement. The authors present several case studies and show how optimization techniques are applied in practice. They also pay particular attention to finding methods that give the optimal trade-off between reliability and cost. The book begins with a review of key background material, and a discussion of a range of optimization models. The authors go on to cover optimization tools, such as heuristics, discrete optimization, nonlinear programming, mixed integer programming, optimal arrangement, and metaheuristic algorithms. They also describe the computational implementation of these tools. Many numerical examples are included, and the book contains over 180 homework exercises. It is suitable as a textbook for graduate-level courses in reliability engineering and operations research. It will also be a valuable reference for practising engineers.

This text explains reliability issues in microelectronics systems manufacturing and software development with an emphasis on evolving manufacturing technology for the semiconductor industry. Since most microelectronics components have an infant mortality period of about one year under ordinary operating conditions, and many modern systems, such as PCs, are heavily used in the first few years, the reliability problem in the infant mortality period becomes extremely important. Burn-in is an accelerated screening procedure that eliminates infant mortalities early on in the shop before shipping out the products to the customers. This book should also help readers to analyze systems that exhibit high failure rate during a long infant mortality period. The text presents ways to systematically analyze burn-in policy at the component, sub-system, and system levels. Various statistical methods are addressed including parametric, nonparametric, and Bayesian approaches. Many case studies are introduced in combination with the developed theories. Included in the book is an introduction to software reliability.The book should help manufacturers and system designers to understand and to design a more reliable product given constraints specified by the users and designers. An understanding of the infant mortality period may solve many reliability problems, including those faced in the semiconductor industry and software industry.

Provides a personal yet scientific comparative study of nuclear energy and a spectrum of other energies from a reliability point of view, as well as outlining guidelines for developing energy policiesThe Fukushima nuclear accident made people ponder and question nuclear safety again, resulting in national decisions to phase out nuclear power completely. Is this the right decision? Are there better ways to deal with this important issue of the 21st century? Critical Reflections on Nuclear and Renewable Energy examines both the real and unreal potential dangers of nuclear power as well as a range of other energy sources, including coal, oil, gas, and renewable energies like solar, hydro, wind, and wave energy sources.The book analyzes the pros and cons of a spectrum of energies in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011. It maintains that we should look at nuclear energy from a rational point of view instead of being influenced by emotions or politicians’ arguments. The book also examines policies that concern science and technology, energy resources, environmental protection, and occupational safety, emphasizing the need to deepen the general populace’s understanding of the concept of reliability.Critical Reflections on Nuclear and Renewable Energy provides both perspective and detail on the relative merits and state of the various energies and the real-life cost of new energies. The analysis considers mining, emissions, sustainability, cost implications, and energy security and safety. Through the discussion of the real cost and impact on environment of individual sources, this book provides a valuable insight into prospects for future energy development.

This book is a critical account of the history, evolution and challenges of higher education in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, with important reflections on other systems, notably those in the US, UK, Korea and Japan. In addition to hardware and software, it introduces the concept of "Soulware" in global higher education and analyses its importance for internationalization and the pursuit of excellence. In an age where robots and artificial intelligence are impacting our jobs and our daily lives, its critical analysis and insightful reflections provide considerable value for a range of global stakeholders interested in higher education reform to nurture talent and promote innovation to prepare students for an unpredictable future."Professor Kuo’s perspective provides considerable value for a range of global stakeholders both in the east and the west. As American universities awake to the realization that the demand for higher education is an increasingly global phenomena, his contribution could not be more timely."Mike Crow, PhD President, Arizona State University"Way Kuo advances a powerful historical argument for the means to achieve excellence in Asian universities. His recipe is bold leadership, combining excellence in teaching and research, and embracing the lessons of western university successes and failures. A superb combination of history and forward thinking."Michael Kotlikoff, VMD, PhD Provost, Cornell University"Way’s book is not just about the past or the present. Rather, it offers useful insights into the future. In an age where robots and artificial intelligence are impacting our jobs and our daily lives, he introduces the concept of “soulware” and analyzes its importance for higher education."G. P. “Bud” Peterson, PhD President, Georgia Institute of Technology"Differing from their Western counterparts, Chinese universities will demonstrate their own cultural characteristics. In this regard, Professor Kuo’s book offers us many valuable insights." Yong Qiu, PhD President, Tsinghua University, Beijing"Wisdom is the ultimate goal of higher education. It is the illumination of that wisdom among audiences, English-speaking or Chinese-speaking, to which Way Kuo’s book hopes to kindle a spark." Frank H. Shu, PhD President, 2002-06, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, and University Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley and San Diego

This unique treatment systematically interprets a spectrum of importance measures to provide a comprehensive overview of their applications in the areas of reliability, network, risk, mathematical programming, and optimization. Investigating the precise relationships among various importance measures, it describes how they are modelled and combined with other design tools to allow users to solve readily many real-world, large-scale decision-making problems. Presenting the state-of-the-art in network analysis, multistate systems, and application in modern systems, this book offers a clear and complete introduction to the topic. Through describing the reliability importance and the fundamentals, it covers advanced topics such as signature of coherent systems, multi-linear functions, and new interpretation of the mathematical programming problems.Key highlights: Generalizes the concepts behind importance measures (such as sensitivity and perturbation analysis, uncertainty analysis, mathematical programming, network designs), enabling  readers to address large-scale problems within various fields effectivelyCovers a large range of importance measures, including those in binary coherent systems, binary monotone systems, multistate systems, continuum systems, repairable systems, as well as importance measures of pairs and groups of componentsDemonstrates numerical and practical applications of importance measures and the related methodologies, including risk analysis in nuclear power plants, cloud computing, software reliability and moreProvides thorough comparisons, examples and case studies on relations of different importance measures, with conclusive results based on the authors’ own researchDescribes reliability design such as redundancy allocation, system upgrading and component assignment.This book will benefit researchers and practitioners interested in systems design, reliability, risk and optimization, statistics, maintenance, prognostics and operations. Readers can develop feasible approaches to solving various open-ended problems in their research and practical work. Software developers, IT analysts and reliability and safety engineers in nuclear, telecommunications, offshore and civil industries will also find the book useful.

THE ABSENCE OF SOULWARE IN HIGHER EDUCATION The book offers an analytical account of higher education in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China with examples of best practices from higher education in the US for guidance. This book is Professor Way Kuo’s attempt to address issues that remain to be challenges for universities in the globalized 21 Century, namely academic autonomy and freedom, seamless integration between research and teaching, curricula update, innovative and problem-driven research, and adopting best global practices, based on his reflections about higher education from a global perspective through his personal experience as a senior academic leader in the US and Hong Kong. Borrowing from the languages of computer science, this book not only talks about the hardware and software in higher education, which refer to the infrastructure and the physical entities that provide an environment conducive to good teaching and research, it also highlights the importance of a third category for achieving great success: the presence of a certain mindset, a willingness to embrace due process and follow international standards and procedures or a vision in making the best use of the hardware and software to spearhead innovation in combining teaching and research for the benefit of students and the well-being of society. Such a mindset is called the soulware of higher education. Specifically, this book: Covers four key areas where a lack of proper soulware or mindset is deterring the advancement of higher education: internationalization; seamless integration of teaching and research; quality and evaluation; and creativity and innovation;The author’s arguments are factual and comments are critical on what is perceived to be less desirable or a failure in higher education;The book offers useful insights into the future and a global perspective on trends, challenges, and opportunities in higher education.Audience Educators, policymakers, higher education providers and administrators, global stakeholders of higher education including students and parents, and the general public in both the East and the West who have an interest in global higher education.

The Absence of Soulware in Higher Education provides an analysis for promoting healthy soulware in the higher education sectors in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China from five angles: the internationalization of higher education, the integration of teaching and research, the separation of politics and education, quality and evaluation, and creativity and innovation.

The international market is very competitive for high-tech manufacturers to­ day. Achieving competitive quality and reliability for products requires leader­ ship from the top, good management practices, effective and efficient operation and maintenance systems, and use of appropriate up-to-date engineering de­ sign tools and methods. Furthermore, manufacturing yield and reliability are interrelated. Manufacturing yield depends on the number of defects found dur­ ing both the manufacturing process and the warranty period, which in turn determines the reliability. the production of microelectronics has evolved into Since the early 1970's, one of the world's largest manufacturing industries. As a result, an important agenda is the study of reliability issues in fabricating microelectronic products and consequently the systems that employ these products, particularly, the new generation of microelectronics. Such an agenda should include: • the economic impact of employing the microelectronics fabricated by in­ dustry, • a study of the relationship between reliability and yield, • the progression toward miniaturization and higher reliability, and • the correctness and complexity of new system designs, which include a very significant portion of software.