TL;DR: In this paper, the Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (FAST) has been extended to include all the interaction terms involving a factor and the main effect of the factor's main effect.
Abstract: A new method for sensitivity analysis (SA) of model output is introduced. It is based on the Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (FAST) and allows the computation of the total contribution of each input factor to the output's variance. The term “total” here means that the factor's main effect, as well as all the interaction terms involving that factor, are included. Although computationally different, the very same measure of sensitivity is offered by the indices of Sobol'. The main advantages of the extended FAST are its robustness, especially at low sample size, and its computational efficiency. The computational aspects of the extended FAST are described. These include (1) the definition of new sets of parametric equations for the search-curve exploring the input space, (2) the selection of frequencies for the parametric equations, and (3) the procedure adopted to estimate the total contributions. We also address the limitations of other global SA methods and suggest that the total-effect indices are id...
TL;DR: In this article, a general multivariate normal distribution with a general parametric form of the mean vector and the variance-covariance matrix is proposed, where any parameter of the model may be fixed, free or constrained to be equal to other parameters.
Abstract: SUMMARY It is assumed that observations on a set of variables have a multivariate normal distribution with a general parametric form of the mean vector and the variance-covariance matrix. Any parameter of the model may be fixed, free or constrained to be equal to other parameters. The free and constrained parameters are estimated by maximum likelihood. A wide range of models is obtained from the general model by imposing various specifications on the parametric structure of the general model. Examples are given of areas and problems, especially in the behavioural sciences, where the method may be useful. 1. GENERAL METHODOLOGY 11. The general model We consider a data matrix X = {xOq} of N observations on p response variables and the following model. Rows of X are independently distributed, each having a multivariate normal distribution with the same variance-covariance matrix E of the form
TL;DR: In this paper, the problem of moving a manipulator in minimum time along a specified geometric path subject to input torque/force constraints is considered, and the minimum-time solution is deduced in an algorithm form using phase-plane techniques.
Abstract: Conventionally, robot control algorithms are divided into two stages, namely, path or trajectory planning and path tracking (or path control). This division has been adopted mainly as a means of alleviating difficulties in dealing with complex, coupled manipulator dynamics. Trajectory planning usually determines the timing of manipulator position and velocity without considering its dynamics. Consequently, the simplicity obtained from the division comes at the expense of efficiency in utilizing robot's capabilities. To remove at least partially this inefficiency, this paper considers a solution to the problem of moving a manipulator in minimum time along a specified geometric path subject to input torque/force constraints. We first describe the manipulator dynamics using parametric functions which represent geometric path constraints to be honored for collision avoidance as well as task requirements. Second, constraints on input torques/ forces are converted to those on the parameters. Third, the minimum-time solution is deduced in an algorithm form using phase-plane techniques. Finally, numerical examples are presented to demonstrate utility of the trajectory planning method developed.
TL;DR: Two algorithms for parametric piecewise polynomial evaluation and generation are described and are shown to generalize to new algorithms for obtaining curve and surface intersections and for the computer display of parametric curves and surfaces.
Abstract: Two algorithms for parametric piecewise polynomial evaluation and generation are described. The mathematical development of these algorithms is shown to generalize to new algorithms for obtaining curve and surface intersections and for the computer display of parametric curves and surfaces.
TL;DR: The methods and design principles of flexsurv, an R package for fully-parametric modeling of survival data, are explained, giving several worked examples of its use.
Abstract: flexsurv is an R package for fully-parametric modeling of survival data. Any parametric time-to-event distribution may be fitted if the user supplies a probability density or hazard function, and ideally also their cumulative versions. Standard survival distributions are built in, including the three and four-parameter generalized gamma and F distributions. Any parameter of any distribution can be modeled as a linear or log-linear function of covariates. The package also includes the spline model of Royston and Parmar (2002), in which both baseline survival and covariate effects can be arbitrarily flexible parametric functions of time. The main model-fitting function, flexsurvreg, uses the familiar syntax of survreg from the standard survival package (Therneau 2016). Censoring or left-truncation are specified in 'Surv' objects. The models are fitted by maximizing the full log-likelihood, and estimates and confidence intervals for any function of the model parameters can be printed or plotted. flexsurv also provides functions for fitting and predicting from fully-parametric multi-state models, and connects with the mstate package (de Wreede, Fiocco, and Putter 2011). This article explains the methods and design principles of the package, giving several worked examples of its use.