We propose a new stochastic global optimization method by accelerating the simulated tempering scheme with random walks executed on a temperature ladder with various transition step sizes. By suitably choosing the length of the transition steps, the accelerated scheme enables the search process to execute large jumps and escape entrapment in local minima, while retaining the capability to explo...

We discuss multidimensional generalizations of multicanonical algorithm, simulated tempering, and replica-exchange method. We generalize the original potential-energy function E0 by adding any physical quantity V of interest as a new energy term with a coupling constant lambda. We then perform a multidimensional multicanonical simulation where a random walk in E0 and V spaces is realized. We ca...

We give conditions under which a Markov chain constructed via parallel or simulated tempering is guaranteed to be rapidly mixing, which are applicable to a wide range of multimodal distributions arising in Bayesian statistical inference and statistical mechanics. We provide lower bounds on the spectral gaps of parallel and simulated tempering. These bounds imply a single set of sufficient condi...

I present a new Markov chain sampling method appropriate for distributions with isolated modes. Like the recently-developed method of \simulated tempering", the \tempered transition" method uses a series of distributions that interpolate between the distribution of interest and a distribution for which sampling is easier. The new method has the advantage that it does not require approximate val...

To investigate the effect of tempering treatment on mechanical properties and the microstructure of DIN 1.4021 Martensitic Stainless Steel, austenite treatment was conducted for the samples at 1000 ºC temperature for 60 min and then the samples were oil quenched. Later, tempering treatments were performed for the samples at 500 ºC and 700 ºC temperatures for 2 and 5 h, respectively; then quench...

Variational inference (VI) combined with data subsampling enables approximate posterior inference with large data sets for otherwise intractable models, but suffers from poor local optima. We first formulate a deterministic annealing approach for the generic class of conditionally conjugate exponential family models. This algorithm uses a temperature parameter that deterministically deforms the...

Local hardness increasing on the surface of the power plant rotor may result in severe damages. One major solution for rapid repairing of the rotors is the adaptive tempering heat treatment. For this purpose, after identification of the damaged rotor, initial investigations and tests (such as visual inspection, chemical analysis, nondestructive hardness measurements and replica or on-site metal...

mechanical properties of dissimilar weld joints between gost09ch16n4b (a martensitic stainless steel) and aisi 4130 thin sheets made by gas tungsten arc welding (gtaw) were studied using er410nimo and er100s-g filler metals in post weld heat treated conditions. heat treatment cycles consisted of austenitization at 900, 950 and 1000 °c for 1 h and this was followed by oil cooling and tempering a...

Simulated tempering (ST) is an established Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for sampling from a multimodal density π(θ). Typically, ST involves introducing an auxiliary variable k taking values in a finite subset of [0, 1] and indexing a set of tempered distributions, say πk(θ) ∝ π(θ) k. In this case, small values of k encourage better mixing, but samples from π are only obtained when the...