My name is Reginald Ankrah. I am a doctoral researcher at
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. My research area concerns
the use of computational techniques to optimise and solve real world problems
in industries.
Telecommunications networks are
vast and complex structures that need to undergo continual evolution to adapt
to change. Telecoms technologies continually undergo rapid change. In parallel,
user demand on networks is subject to ongoing growth periodically punctuated by
the emergence of disruptive new products and services.
The market is highly competitive
and so providers need to adapt promptly to demand. However, changes to the
network involve considerable capital investment. This leads to complex
investment decisions bearing significant financial, technical and reputational
risk. In particular, to maximize return, new telecommunications networks must
be designed to be robust enough to meet expected demands over their lifetime.
Computational intelligence
offers a range of algorithms and techniques that are applicable to complex,
multifactorial decision making. Probabilistic models derived from analysis of
datasets can confer predictive insight into how decision outcomes are affected
by interactions between various input factors. They can also support
Monte Carlo simulation of future decisions allowing what-if analysis, optimized
decision-making and statistical confidence intervals for complex decision
scenarios. Clustering approaches are used to identify similarities in datasets,
for example, customer profiling. Optimisation algorithms like genetic
algorithms, particle swarm optimisation and ant colonies optimisation can be
used to optimize use and placement of resources when there are complex and
conflicting decision factors involved. For example, such approaches would be
useful in determining the placement of equipment and network structure.
My research aims at
investigating the application of novel and advanced computational techniques to
create specialised planning and risk-modelling algorithms focused on key
aspects of network design.