The problem is considered of minimizing total costs of a regulator subject to both a steady reference input and a statistical load disturbance. A binary error criterion is used which directly relates the error magnitude to the economic penalty entailed by the error. In contrast it is not easy to relate the mean-square error to economic penalty. Experimental work shows that the amplitude probability density distributions in saturating loops are altered sufficiently from the Gaussian that the statistical linearization technique does not predict results with satisfactory accuracy in many cases of interest. The use of modified distributions alleviates this problem, but analog computer experiments provide the most satisfactory attack for complicated situations and are easily instrumented.

Linearization

10.1115/1.4008432

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Citations (1)

Evaluation of relative health-risk levels of a group of impaired drivers through health hazard appraisal.

PubMed (1981)

A R Wilcock John Milsum Charles A. Laszlo L Varga

This paper reports on the use of a Health Hazard Appraisal technique to compare the lifestyle characteristics of a group of drinking drivers with a matched control group. The results confirm empirical observations that those who drink and drive show evidence of increased lifestyle hazards in more than one area including alcohol and smoking related diseases, the frequency of automobile accidents, and the likelihood of injury. Comparison of the test and control groups gives significant differences for some lifestyle variables. In particular, compared to the control group, the test group has higher appraised age (diminished life expectancy), higher risk of death due to smoking and alcohol-related diseases in general, and specifically, increased risk for lung cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, heart attack, and stroke. In addition, the test group drives more miles per year but uses seat belts less often than the control group. Interestingly, while HHA readily identified the heavy drinkers and the chronic alcoholics, no association was found with the use of drugs and medications. However, we might expect less honesty in reporting on this legally-and socially-sensitive habit. At any rate, this study shows that, in general, drinking drivers not only report drinking more than their control counterparts, but also have a more hazardous lifestyle.

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Citations (4)

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Systems Research and Behavioral Science (1991)

James Miller Anatol Rapoport William Horvath Érvín Lásźló John Milsum

10.1002/bs.3830360401

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On the modelling of large-scale health care systems

Systems Research and Behavioral Science (1974)

Pierre Bélanger A. B. Hurtubise Charles A. Laszlo Martin D. Levine John Milsum

Our health care systems are becoming increasingly complex, integrated and therefore unmanageable by traditional methods. Also new methods of health care delivery are subjects of experimentation, especially those methods giving increased emphasis to preventive medicine and primary health care. The need for a systematic approach to planning such systems is augmented by their rapidly escalating operational costs. Mathematical modelling of the system elements' functional properties allows the generation of a macromodel involving the flows of demands and resources, which can be useful for planning purposes over a time span of five to ten years. Computer simulation runs can quickly compare many different strategies for their effect on system performance provided that adequate data are available on the unit cost distributions and effectiveness. The choice of flow parameters is discussed and also the difficult problems of resource allocation and appropriate measures of system performance.

10.1002/bs.3830190608

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Citations (4)

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Systems Research and Behavioral Science (1975)

James Miller Margaret Mead Anatol Rapoport William Horvath Érvín Lásźló

10.1002/bs.3830200601

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