Background

MS in Computer Science from National Technological University.

My interest in Computer Science included computer graphics and genetic algorithms.

Computer Graphics

Building a motorcycle.

This is image contains a scanned image read into the program and displayed on a flat surface. The poster is on the left wall of the shop. The back wall is reflective giving the double image of the bike in the center of the floor and the poster. The wheels of the bike are refractive to light.

Genetic Algorithms

The project is to solve a problem of finding a minimum path. The problem is in the NP-hard class of problems known as the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). NP is the set of problems that are solvable by non-deterministic polynomial time algorithms.

Genetic Algorithms have been found to be robust when solving combinatorially explosive, well mapped problems. The TSP, which has a problem space of n!, is combinatorially explosive but does not map easily into a GA.

My approach is to solve the TSP using a binary representation. To solve the TSP using a binary representation requires the use of special repair algorithms to prevent illegal tours. This repair algorithm is used to break ties between cities that are to be visited at the same time within a tour.

Using a simple genetic algorithm with the modification of a repair algorithm good solution for the TSP can be found. The problem space is n! where n is the number of cities. For the 48 city problem this is 1.24E61 possible solutions. The GA evaluated 18E6 paths to find a solution within 5% of the optimal.

The above paragraphs are from a report I wrote for a class in Genetic Algorithms. This report was published at the Fifth International Conference on Intelligent Systems in Reno, NV in the summer of 1996.

For the complete report, click here.

Professional Career

I started my professional career as an integrated circuit product engineer at Hewlett-Packard in Colorado Spring Colorado. I was transfered to Hewlett-Packard, Loveland where I also worked as an integrated circuit product engineer for the Loveland Technology Center. As the integrated circuit business grew LTC merged with the Fort Collins integrated circuit center which finally became the Integrated Circuit Business Division or ICBD. Since the merger of the two technology centers, my job has evolved into a Test Process Engineer or TPE. The job involved the introduction and integration of integrated circuit test equipment into our manufacturing facility.

After completing my MS degree, I move on to work in the Information Technology department within ICBD. I was a member of the Engineering Analysis group providing engineering solutions for the engineering community with ICBD manufacturing.

With HP splitting into two separate companies Hewlett-Packard Company and Agilent Technologies Inc, I began working with Agilent. I continued my career with Agilent in the IT department which managed proprietary software developed for Manufacturing Execution Systems and Engineering Analysis Systems.

After a great career in the high tech and computer industry, I had an opportunity for a change. I first started a company providing general computer services. This was saticfying but I missed the development environment. I started Vail Webs as way to fullfil the desire for learning new programming laguages and programning environments for design and development of web sites.

Other Interests

• VW Bugs The old one. Visit my other site @ HoltkampElectric
• Motorcycles
• Travel