The Single Machine Total Weighted Tardiness Problem - Is it (for Metaheuristics) a Solved Problem ?

Abstract: The article presents a study of rather simple local search heuristics for the single machine total weighted tardiness problem (SMTWTP), namely hillclimbing and Variable Neighborhood Search. In particular, we revisit these approaches for the SMTWTP as there appears to be a lack of appropriate/challenging benchmark instances in this case. The obtained results are impressive indeed. Only few instances remain unsolved, and even those are approximated within 1% of the optimal/best known solutions. Our experiments support the claim that metaheuristics for the SMTWTP are very likely to lead to good results, and that, before refining search strategies, more work must be done with regard to the proposition of benchmark data. Some recommendations for the construction of such data sets are derived from our investigations.


Improvements for multi-objective flow shop scheduling by Pareto Iterated Local Search

Abstract: The article describes the proposition and application of a local search metaheuristic for multi-objective optimization problems. It is based on two main principles of heuristic search, intensification through variable neighborhoods, and diversification through perturbations and successive iterations in favorable regions of the search space. The concept is successfully tested on permutation flow shop scheduling problems under multiple objectives and compared to other local search approaches. While the obtained results are encouraging in terms of their quality, another positive attribute of the approach is its simplicity as it does require the setting of only very few parameters.


On some counting problems for semi-linear sets

Abstract: Let $X$ be a subset of $\N^t$ or $\Z^t$. We can associate with $X$ a function ${\cal G}_X:\N^t\longrightarrow\N$ which returns, for every $(n_1, ..., n_t)\in \N^t$, the number ${\cal G}_X(n_1, ..., n_t)$ of all vectors $x\in X$ such that, for every $i=1,..., t, |x_{i}| \leq n_{i}$. This function is called the {\em growth function} of $X$. The main result of this paper is that the growth function of a semi-linear set of $\N^t$ or $\Z^t$ is a box spline. By using this result and some theorems on semi-linear sets, we give a new proof of combinatorial flavour of a well-known theorem by Dahmen and Micchelli on the counting function of a system of Diophantine linear equations.


Duality for Min-Max Orderings and Dichotomy for Min Cost Homomorphisms

Abstract: Min-Max orderings correspond to conservative lattice polymorphisms. Digraphs with Min-Max orderings have polynomial time solvable minimum cost homomorphism problems. They can also be viewed as digraph analogues of proper interval graphs and bigraphs. We give a forbidden structure characterization of digraphs with a Min-Max ordering which implies a polynomial time recognition algorithm. We also similarly characterize digraphs with an extended Min-Max ordering, and we apply this characterization to prove a conjectured form of dichotomy for minimum cost homomorphism problems.


Rational Synthesis

Abstract: Synthesis is the automated construction of a system from its specification. The system has to satisfy its specification in all possible environments. Modern systems often interact with other systems, or agents. Many times these agents have objectives of their own, other than to fail the system. Thus, it makes sense to model system environments not as hostile, but as composed of rational agents; i.e., agents that act to achieve their own objectives. We introduce the problem of synthesis in the context of rational agents (rational synthesis, for short). The input consists of a temporal-logic formula specifying the system and temporal-logic formulas specifying the objectives of the agents. The output is an implementation T of the system and a profile of strategies, suggesting a behavior for each of the agents. The output should satisfy two conditions. First, the composition of T with the strategy profile should satisfy the specification. Second, the strategy profile should be an equilibria in the sense that, in view of their objectives, agents have no incentive to deviate from the strategies assigned to them. We solve the rational-synthesis problem for various definitions of equilibria studied in game theory. We also consider the multi-valued case in which the objectives of the system and the agents are still temporal logic formulas, but involve payoffs from a finite lattice.


SecSip: A Stateful Firewall for SIP-based Networks

Abstract: SIP-based networks are becoming the de-facto standard for voice, video and instant messaging services. Being exposed to many threats while playing an major role in the operation of essential services, the need for dedicated security management approaches is rapidly increasing. In this paper we present an original security management approach based on a specific vulnerability aware SIP stateful firewall. Through known attack descriptions, we illustrate the power of the configuration language of the firewall which uses the capability to specify stateful objects that track data from multiple SIP elements within their lifetime. We demonstrate through measurements on a real implementation of the firewall its efficiency and performance.


Performance of Network and Service Monitoring Frameworks

Abstract: The efficiency and the performance of anagement systems is becoming a hot research topic within the networks and services management community. This concern is due to the new challenges of large scale managed systems, where the management plane is integrated within the functional plane and where management activities have to carry accurate and up-to-date information. We defined a set of primary and secondary metrics to measure the performance of a management approach. Secondary metrics are derived from the primary ones and quantifies mainly the efficiency, the scalability and the impact of management activities. To validate our proposals, we have designed and developed a benchmarking platform dedicated to the measurement of the performance of a JMX manager-agent based management system. The second part of our work deals with the collection of measurement data sets from our JMX benchmarking platform. We mainly studied the effect of both load and the number of agents on the scalability, the impact of management activities on the user perceived performance of a managed server and the delays of JMX operations when carrying variables values. Our findings show that most of these delays follow a Weibull statistical distribution. We used this statistical model to study the behavior of a monitoring algorithm proposed in the literature, under heavy tail delays distribution. In this case, the view of the managed system on the manager side becomes noisy and out of date.


A deterministic truthful PTAS for scheduling related machines

Abstract: Scheduling on related machines ($Q||C_{\max}$) is one of the most important problems in the field of Algorithmic Mechanism Design. Each machine is controlled by a selfish agent and her valuation can be expressed via a single parameter, her {\em speed}. In contrast to other similar problems, Archer and Tardos \cite{AT01} showed that an algorithm that minimizes the makespan can be truthfully implemented, although in exponential time. On the other hand, if we leave out the game-theoretic issues, the complexity of the problem has been completely settled -- the problem is strongly NP-hard, while there exists a PTAS \cite{HS88,ES04}. This problem is the most well studied in single-parameter algorithmic mechanism design. It gives an excellent ground to explore the boundary between truthfulness and efficient computation. Since the work of Archer and Tardos, quite a lot of deterministic and randomized mechanisms have been suggested. Recently, a breakthrough result \cite{DDDR08} showed that a randomized truthful PTAS exists. On the other hand, for the deterministic case, the best known approximation factor is 2.8 \cite{Kov05,Kov07}. It has been a major open question whether there exists a deterministic truthful PTAS, or whether truthfulness has an essential, negative impact on the computational complexity of the problem. In this paper we give a definitive answer to this important question by providing a truthful {\em deterministic} PTAS.


On Brambles, Grid-Like Minors, and Parameterized Intractability of Monadic Second-Order Logic

Abstract: Brambles were introduced as the dual notion to treewidth, one of the most central concepts of the graph minor theory of Robertson and Seymour. Recently, Grohe and Marx showed that there are graphs G, in which every bramble of order larger than the square root of the treewidth is of exponential size in |G|. On the positive side, they show the existence of polynomial-sized brambles of the order of the square root of the treewidth, up to log factors. We provide the first polynomial time algorithm to construct a bramble in general graphs and achieve this bound, up to log-factors. We use this algorithm to construct grid-like minors, a replacement structure for grid-minors recently introduced by Reed and Wood, in polynomial time. Using the grid-like minors, we introduce the notion of a perfect bramble and an algorithm to find one in polynomial time. Perfect brambles are brambles with a particularly simple structure and they also provide us with a subgraph that has bounded degree and still large treewidth; we use them to obtain a meta-theorem on deciding certain parameterized subgraph-closed problems on general graphs in time singly exponential in the parameter. The second part of our work deals with providing a lower bound to Courcelle's famous theorem, stating that every graph property that can be expressed by a sentence in monadic second-order logic (MSO), can be decided by a linear time algorithm on classes of graphs of bounded treewidth. Using our results from the first part of our work we establish a strong lower bound for tractability of MSO on classes of colored graphs.


A Metric Encoding for Bounded Model Checking (extended version)

Abstract: In Bounded Model Checking both the system model and the checked property are translated into a Boolean formula to be analyzed by a SAT-solver. We introduce a new encoding technique which is particularly optimized for managing quantitative future and past metric temporal operators, typically found in properties of hard real time systems. The encoding is simple and intuitive in principle, but it is made more complex by the presence, typical of the Bounded Model Checking technique, of backward and forward loops used to represent an ultimately periodic infinite domain by a finite structure. We report and comment on the new encoding technique and on an extensive set of experiments carried out to assess its feasibility and effectiveness.


Ethernet Topology Discovery: A Survey

Abstract: Ethernet networks have undergone impressive growth since the past few decades. This growth can be appreciated in terms of the equipment, such as switches and links, that have been added, as well as in the number of users that it supports. In parallel to this expansion, over the past decade the networking research community has shown a growing interest in discovering and analyzing the Ethernet topology. Research in this area has concentrated on the theoretical analysis of Ethernet topology as well as developing tools and methods for mapping the network layout. These efforts have brought us to a crucial juncture for Ethernet topology measurement infrastructures: while, previously, these were both small (in terms of number of measurement points), we are starting to see the deployment of large-scale distributed systems composed of hundreds or thousands of monitors. As we look forward to this next generation of systems, we take stock of what has been achieved so far. In this survey, we discuss past and current mechanisms for discovering the Ethernet topology from theoretical and practical prospective. In addition to discovery techniques, we provide insights into some of the well known open issues related to Ethernet topology discovery.


Graph Theory and Optimization Problems for Very Large Networks

Abstract: Graph theory provides a primary tool for analyzing and designing computer communication networks. In the past few decades, Graph theory has been used to study various types of networks, including the Internet, wide Area Networks, Local Area Networks, and networking protocols such as border Gateway Protocol, Open shortest Path Protocol, and Networking Networks. In this paper, we present some key graph theory concepts used to represent different types of networks. Then we describe how networks are modeled to investigate problems related to network protocols. Finally, we present some of the tools used to generate graph for representing practical networks.


A Survey on Continuous Time Computations

Abstract: We provide an overview of theories of continuous time computation. These theories allow us to understand both the hardness of questions related to continuous time dynamical systems and the computational power of continuous time analog models. We survey the existing models, summarizing results, and point to relevant references in the literature.


On the Convergence of Population Protocols When Population Goes to Infinity

Abstract: Population protocols have been introduced as a model of sensor networks consisting of very limited mobile agents with no control over their own movement. A population protocol corresponds to a collection of anonymous agents, modeled by finite automata, that interact with one another to carry out computations, by updating their states, using some rules. Their computational power has been investigated under several hypotheses but always when restricted to finite size populations. In particular, predicates stably computable in the original model have been characterized as those definable in Presburger arithmetic. We study mathematically the convergence of population protocols when the size of the population goes to infinity. We do so by giving general results, that we illustrate through the example of a particular population protocol for which we even obtain an asymptotic development. This example shows in particular that these protocols seem to have a rather different computational power when a huge population hypothesis is considered.


Verification of Timed Automata Using Rewrite Rules and Strategies

Abstract: ELAN is a powerful language and environment for specifying and prototyping deduction systems in a language based on rewrite rules controlled by strategies. Timed automata is a class of continuous real-time models of reactive systems for which efficient model-checking algorithms have been devised. In this paper, we show that these algorithms can very easily be prototyped in the ELAN system. This paper argues through this example that rewriting based systems relying on rules and strategies are a good framework to prototype, study and test rather efficiently symbolic model-checking algorithms, i.e. algorithms which involve combination of graph exploration rules, deduction rules, constraint solving techniques and decision procedures.


Population Protocols that Correspond to Symmetric Games

Abstract: Population protocols have been introduced by Angluin et {al.} as a model of networks consisting of very limited mobile agents that interact in pairs but with no control over their own movement. A collection of anonymous agents, modeled by finite automata, interact pairwise according to some rules that update their states. The model has been considered as a computational model in several papers. Input values are initially distributed among the agents, and the agents must eventually converge to the the correct output. Predicates on the initial configurations that can be computed by such protocols have been characterized under various hypotheses. In an orthogonal way, several distributed systems have been termed in literature as being realizations of games in the sense of game theory. In this paper, we investigate under which conditions population protocols, or more generally pairwise interaction rules, can be considered as the result of a symmetric game. We prove that not all rules can be considered as symmetric games.% We prove that some basic protocols can be realized using symmetric games. As a side effect of our study, we also prove that any population protocol can be simulated by a symmetric one (but not necessarily a game).


Fast Searching in Packed Strings

Abstract: Given strings $P$ and $Q$ the (exact) string matching problem is to find all positions of substrings in $Q$ matching $P$. The classical Knuth-Morris-Pratt algorithm [SIAM J. Comput., 1977] solves the string matching problem in linear time which is optimal if we can only read one character at the time. However, most strings are stored in a computer in a packed representation with several characters in a single word, giving us the opportunity to read multiple characters simultaneously. In this paper we study the worst-case complexity of string matching on strings given in packed representation. Let $m \leq n$ be the lengths $P$ and $Q$, respectively, and let $\sigma$ denote the size of the alphabet. On a standard unit-cost word-RAM with logarithmic word size we present an algorithm using time $$ O\left(\frac{n}{\log_\sigma n} + m + \occ\right). $$ Here $\occ$ is the number of occurrences of $P$ in $Q$. For $m = o(n)$ this improves the $O(n)$ bound of the Knuth-Morris-Pratt algorithm. Furthermore, if $m = O(n/\log_\sigma n)$ our algorithm is optimal since any algorithm must spend at least $\Omega(\frac{(n+m)\log \sigma}{\log n} + \occ) = \Omega(\frac{n}{\log_\sigma n} + \occ)$ time to read the input and report all occurrences. The result is obtained by a novel automaton construction based on the Knuth-Morris-Pratt algorithm combined with a new compact representation of subautomata allowing an optimal tabulation-based simulation.


COMMENTARY ON: Citing and Reading Behavours in High-Energy Physics (arXiv:0906.5418)

Abstract: Evidence confirming that OA increases impact will not be sufficient to induce enough researchers to provide OA; only mandates from their institutions and funders can ensure that. HEP researchers continue to submit their papers to peer-reviewed journals, as they always did, depositing both their unrefereed preprints and their refereed postprints. None of that has changed. In fields like HEP and astrophysics, the journal affordability/accessibility problem is not as great as in many other fields, where it the HEP Early Access impact advantage translates into the OA impact advantage itself. Almost no one has ever argued that Gold OA provides a greater OA advantage than Green OA. The OA advantage is the OA advantage, whether Green or Gold.


Breaking a Chaotic Cryptographic Scheme Based on Composition Maps

Abstract: Recently, a chaotic cryptographic scheme based on composition maps was proposed. This paper studies the security of the scheme and reports the following findings: 1) the scheme can be broken by a differential attack with $6+\lceil\log_L(MN)\rceil$ chosen-plaintext, where $MN$ is the size of plaintext and $L$ is the number of different elements in plain-text; 2) the scheme is not sensitive to the changes of plaintext; 3) the two composition maps do not work well as a secure and efficient random number source.


Why Did My Query Slow Down?

Abstract: Many enterprise environments have databases running on network-attached server-storage infrastructure (referred to as Storage Area Networks or SANs). Both the database and the SAN are complex systems that need their own separate administrative teams. This paper puts forth the vision of an innovative management framework to simplify administrative tasks that require an in-depth understanding of both the database and the SAN. As a concrete instance, we consider the task of diagnosing the slowdown in performance of a database query that is executed multiple times (e.g., in a periodic report-generation setting). This task is very challenging because the space of possible causes includes problems specific to the database, problems specific to the SAN, and problems that arise due to interactions between the two systems. In addition, the monitoring data available from these systems can be noisy. We describe the design of DIADS which is an integrated diagnosis tool for database and SAN administrators. DIADS generates and uses a powerful abstraction called Annotated Plan Graphs (APGs) that ties together the execution path of queries in the database and the SAN. Using an innovative workflow that combines domain-specific knowledge with machine-learning techniques, DIADS was applied successfully to diagnose query slowdowns caused by complex combinations of events across a PostgreSQL database and a production SAN.


A Mathematical Unification of Geometric Crossovers Defined on Phenotype Space

Abstract: Geometric crossover is a representation-independent definition of crossover based on the distance of the search space interpreted as a metric space. It generalizes the traditional crossover for binary strings and other important recombination operators for the most frequently used representations. Using a distance tailored to the problem at hand, the abstract definition of crossover can be used to design new problem specific crossovers that embed problem knowledge in the search. This paper is motivated by the fact that genotype-phenotype mapping can be theoretically interpreted using the concept of quotient space in mathematics. In this paper, we study a metric transformation, the quotient metric space, that gives rise to the notion of quotient geometric crossover. This turns out to be a very versatile notion. We give many example applications of the quotient geometric crossover.


Mathematical Interpretation between Genotype and Phenotype Spaces and Induced Geometric Crossovers

Abstract: In this paper, we present that genotype-phenotype mapping can be theoretically interpreted using the concept of quotient space in mathematics. Quotient space can be considered as mathematically-defined phenotype space in the evolutionary computation theory. The quotient geometric crossover has the effect of reducing the search space actually searched by geometric crossover, and it introduces problem knowledge in the search by using a distance better tailored to the specific solution interpretation. Quotient geometric crossovers are directly applied to the genotype space but they have the effect of the crossovers performed on phenotype space. We give many example applications of the quotient geometric crossover.


A Linear Vertex Kernel for Maximum Internal Spanning Tree

Abstract: We present a polynomial time algorithm that for any graph G and integer k >= 0, either finds a spanning tree with at least k internal vertices, or outputs a new graph G' on at most 3k vertices and an integer k' such that G has a spanning tree with at least k internal vertices if and only if G' has a spanning tree with at least k' internal vertices. In other words, we show that the Maximum Internal Spanning Tree problem parameterized by the number of internal vertices k, has a 3k-vertex kernel. Our result is based on an innovative application of a classical min-max result about hypertrees in hypergraphs which states that "a hypergraph H contains a hypertree if and only if H is partition connected."


Registration of Standardized Histological Images in Feature Space

Abstract: In this paper, we propose three novel and important methods for the registration of histological images for 3D reconstruction. First, possible intensity variations and nonstandardness in images are corrected by an intensity standardization process which maps the image scale into a standard scale where the similar intensities correspond to similar tissues meaning. Second, 2D histological images are mapped into a feature space where continuous variables are used as high confidence image features for accurate registration. Third, we propose an automatic best reference slice selection algorithm that improves reconstruction quality based on both image entropy and mean square error of the registration process. We demonstrate that the choice of reference slice has a significant impact on registration error, standardization, feature space and entropy information. After 2D histological slices are registered through an affine transformation with respect to an automatically chosen reference, the 3D volume is reconstructed by co-registering 2D slices elastically.


Fully Automatic 3D Reconstruction of Histological Images

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a computational framework for 3D volume reconstruction from 2D histological slices using registration algorithms in feature space. To improve the quality of reconstructed 3D volume, first, intensity variations in images are corrected by an intensity standardization process which maps image intensity scale to a standard scale where similar intensities correspond to similar tissues. Second, a subvolume approach is proposed for 3D reconstruction by dividing standardized slices into groups. Third, in order to improve the quality of the reconstruction process, an automatic best reference slice selection algorithm is developed based on an iterative assessment of image entropy and mean square error of the registration process. Finally, we demonstrate that the choice of the reference slice has a significant impact on registration quality and subsequent 3D reconstruction.


Parallel AdaBoost Algorithm for Gabor Wavelet Selection in Face Recognition

Abstract: In this paper, the problem of automatic Gabor wavelet selection for face recognition is tackled by introducing an automatic algorithm based on Parallel AdaBoosting method. Incorporating mutual information into the algorithm leads to the selection procedure not only based on classification accuracy but also on efficiency. Effective image features are selected by using properly chosen Gabor wavelets optimised with Parallel AdaBoost method and mutual information to get high recognition rates with low computational cost. Experiments are conducted using the well-known FERET face database. In proposed framework, memory and computation costs are reduced significantly and high classification accuracy is obtained.


From Causal Semantics To Duration Timed Models

Abstract: The interleaving semantics is not compatible with both action refinement and durational actions. Since many true concurrency semantics are congruent w.r.t. action refinement, notably the causality and the maximality ones, this has challenged us to study the dense time behavior - where the actions are of arbitrary fixed duration - within the causality semantics of Da Costa. We extend the causal transition systems with the clocks and the timed constraints, and thus we obtain an over class of timed automata where the actions need not to be atomic. We define a real time extension of the formal description technique CSP, called duration-CSP, by attributing the duration to actions. We give the operational timed causal semantics of duration-CSP as well as its denotational semantics over the class of timed causal transition systems. Afterwards, we prove that the two semantics are equivalent. Finally we extend the duration-CSP language with a refinement operator $\rho$ - that allows to replace an action with a process - and prove that it preserves the timed causal bisimulation.


Infinite Oracle Queries in Type-2 Machines (Extended Abstract)

Abstract: We define Oracle-Type-2-Machine capable of writing infinite oracle queries. In contrast to finite oracle queries, this extends the realm of oracle-computable functions into the discontinuous realm. Our definition is conservative; access to a computable oracle does not increase the computational power. Other models of real hypercomputation such as Ziegler's (finitely) revising computation or Type-2-Nondeterminism are shown to be special cases of Oracle-Type-2-Machines. Our approach offers an intuitive definition of the weakest machine model capable to simulate both Type-2-Machines and BSS machines.


Effective Personalized Recommendation in Collaborative Tagging Systems

Abstract: Recently, collaborative tagging systems have attracted more and more attention and have been widely applied in web systems. Tags provide highly abstracted information about personal preferences and item content, and are therefore potential to help in improving better personalized recommendations. In this paper, we propose a tag-based recommendation algorithm considering the personal vocabulary and evaluate it in a real-world dataset: Del.icio.us. Experimental results demonstrate that the usage of tag information can significantly improve the accuracy of personalized recommendations.


Inconsistency Robustness in Foundations: Mathematics self proves its own Consistency and Other Matters

Abstract: Inconsistency Robustness is performance of information systems with pervasively inconsistent information. Inconsistency Robustness of the community of professional mathematicians is their performance repeatedly repairing contradictions over the centuries. In the Inconsistency Robustness paradigm, deriving contradictions have been a progressive development and not "game stoppers." Contradictions can be helpful instead of being something to be "swept under the rug" by denying their existence, which has been repeatedly attempted by Establishment Philosophers (beginning with some Pythagoreans). Such denial has delayed mathematical development. This article reports how considerations of Inconsistency Robustness have recently influenced the foundations of mathematics for Computer Science continuing a tradition developing the sociological basis for foundations. The current common understanding is that G\"odel proved "Mathematics cannot prove its own consistency, if it is consistent." However, the consistency of mathematics is proved by a simple argument in this article. Consequently, the current common understanding that G\"odel proved "Mathematics cannot prove its own consistency, if it is consistent" is inaccurate. Wittgenstein long ago showed that contradiction in mathematics results from the kind of "self-referential" sentence that G\"odel used in his argument that mathematics cannot prove its own consistency. However, using a typed grammar for mathematical sentences, it can be proved that the kind "self-referential" sentence that G\"odel used in his argument cannot be constructed because required the fixed point that G\"odel used to the construct the "self-referential" sentence does not exist. In this way, consistency of mathematics is preserved without giving up power.


Neural Modeling and Control of Diesel Engine with Pollution Constraints

Abstract: The paper describes a neural approach for modelling and control of a turbocharged Diesel engine. A neural model, whose structure is mainly based on some physical equations describing the engine behaviour, is built for the rotation speed and the exhaust gas opacity. The model is composed of three interconnected neural submodels, each of them constituting a nonlinear multi-input single-output error model. The structural identification and the parameter estimation from data gathered on a real engine are described. The neural direct model is then used to determine a neural controller of the engine, in a specialized training scheme minimising a multivariable criterion. Simulations show the effect of the pollution constraint weighting on a trajectory tracking of the engine speed. Neural networks, which are flexible and parsimonious nonlinear black-box models, with universal approximation capabilities, can accurately describe or control complex nonlinear systems, with little a priori theoretical knowledge. The presented work extends optimal neuro-control to the multivariable case and shows the flexibility of neural optimisers. Considering the preliminary results, it appears that neural networks can be used as embedded models for engine control, to satisfy the more and more restricting pollutant emission legislation. Particularly, they are able to model nonlinear dynamics and outperform during transients the control schemes based on static mappings.


New Binomial Bent Function over the Finite Fields of Odd Characteristic

Abstract: The $p$-ary function $f(x)$ mapping $\mathrm{GF}(p^{4k})$ to $\mathrm{GF}(p)$ given by $f(x)={\rm Tr}_{4k}\big(x^{p^{3k}+p^{2k}-p^k+1}+x^2\big)$ is proven to be a weakly regular bent function and the exact values of its Walsh transform coefficients are found. The proof is based on a few new results in the area of exponential sums and polynomials over finite fields that may also be interesting as independent problems.


Measuring Password Strength: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract: We present an in-depth analysis on the strength of the almost 10,000 passwords from users of an instant messaging server in Italy. We estimate the strength of those passwords, and compare the effectiveness of state-of-the-art attack methods such as dictionaries and Markov chain-based techniques. We show that the strength of passwords chosen by users varies enormously, and that the cost of attacks based on password strength grows very quickly when the attacker wants to obtain a higher success percentage. In accordance with existing studies we observe that, in the absence of measures for enforcing password strength, weak passwords are common. On the other hand we discover that there will always be a subset of users with extremely strong passwords that are very unlikely to be broken. The results of our study will help in evaluating the security of password-based authentication means, and they provide important insights for inspiring new and better proactive password checkers and password recovery tools.


Reachability-time games on timed automata

Abstract: In a reachability-time game, players Min and Max choose moves so that the time to reach a final state in a timed automaton is minimised or maximised, respectively. Asarin and Maler showed decidability of reachability-time games on strongly non-Zeno timed automata using a value iteration algorithm. This paper complements their work by providing a strategy improvement algorithm for the problem. It also generalizes their decidability result because the proposed strategy improvement algorithm solves reachability-time games on all timed automata. The exact computational complexity of solving reachability-time games is also established: the problem is EXPTIME-complete for timed automata with at least two clocks.


Investigating the Change of Web Pages' Titles Over Time

Abstract: Inaccessible web pages are part of the browsing experience. The content of these pages however is often not completely lost but rather missing. Lexical signatures (LS) generated from the web pages' textual content have been shown to be suitable as search engine queries when trying to discover a (missing) web page. Since LSs are expensive to generate, we investigate the potential of web pages' titles as they are available at a lower cost. We present the results from studying the change of titles over time. We take titles from copies provided by the Internet Archive of randomly sampled web pages and show the frequency of change as well as the degree of change in terms of the Levenshtein score. We found very low frequencies of change and high Levenshtein scores indicating that titles, on average, change little from their original, first observed values (rooted comparison) and even less from the values of their previous observation (sliding).


Exploring Peer Review in the Computer Science Classroom

Abstract: In computer science, students could benefit from more opportunities to learn important, high-level concepts and to improve their learning skills. Peer review is one method to encourage this by providing students with the opportunity to evaluate other people's work and to receive feedback on their own projects. This allows for rich learning experience but it is not immediately obvious how to create a programming project review that will improve the students' conceptual understanding, require higher level thinking, and be engaging. The current literature does not typically address differences between review implementations or provide reasons for design decisions. This work explored how two different types of reviews affected the students' learning of concepts, high-level thinking, and engagement. There were indications that the type of review affected how well students addressed the concept they were reviewing and the comments' length. This shows that the review's type may affect student engagement and conceptual learning. There were also differences in how they reviewed the concepts of Abstraction, Decomposition, and Encapsulation, suggesting that the concepts are being learned in different ways. Both of these results have an impact on the use of peer review computer science but need further investigation.


A certifying algorithm for 3-colorability of P5-free graphs

Abstract: We provide a certifying algorithm for the problem of deciding whether a P5- free graph is 3-colorable by showing there are exactly six finite graphs that are P5-free and not 3-colorable and minimal with respect to this property.


The interval constrained 3-coloring problem

Abstract: In this paper, we settle the open complexity status of interval constrained coloring with a fixed number of colors. We prove that the problem is already NP-complete if the number of different colors is 3. Previously, it has only been known that it is NP-complete, if the number of colors is part of the input and that the problem is solvable in polynomial time, if the number of colors is at most 2. We also show that it is hard to satisfy almost all of the constraints for a feasible instance.


Web of Lossy Adapters for Interface Interoperability: An Algorithm and NP-completeness of Minimization

Abstract: By using different interface adapters for different methods, it is possible to construct a maximally covering web of interface adapters which incurs minimum loss during interface adaptation. We introduce a polynomial-time algorithm that can achieve this. However, we also show that minimizing the number of adapters included in a maximally covering web of interface adapters is an NP-complete problem.


Gentzen-Prawitz Natural Deduction as a Teaching Tool

Abstract: We report a four-years experiment in teaching reasoning to undergraduate students, ranging from weak to gifted, using Gentzen-Prawitz's style natural deduction. We argue that this pedagogical approach is a good alternative to the use of Boolean algebra for teaching reasoning, especially for computer scientists and formal methods practionners.


Image Sampling with Quasicrystals

Abstract: We investigate the use of quasicrystals in image sampling. Quasicrystals produce space-filling, non-periodic point sets that are uniformly discrete and relatively dense, thereby ensuring the sample sites are evenly spread out throughout the sampled image. Their self-similar structure can be attractive for creating sampling patterns endowed with a decorative symmetry. We present a brief general overview of the algebraic theory of cut-and-project quasicrystals based on the geometry of the golden ratio. To assess the practical utility of quasicrystal sampling, we evaluate the visual effects of a variety of non-adaptive image sampling strategies on photorealistic image reconstruction and non-photorealistic image rendering used in multiresolution image representations. For computer visualization of point sets used in image sampling, we introduce a mosaic rendering technique.


Interchanging distance and capacity in probabilistic mappings

Abstract: Harald Racke [STOC 2008] described a new method to obtain hierarchical decompositions of networks in a way that minimizes the congestion. Racke's approach is based on an equivalence that he discovered between minimizing congestion and minimizing stretch (in a certain setting). Here we present Racke's equivalence in an abstract setting that is more general than the one described in Racke's work, and clarifies the power of Racke's result. In addition, we present a related (but different) equivalence that was developed by Yuval Emek [ESA 2009] and is only known to apply to planar graphs.


Throughput metrics and packet delay in TCP/IP networks

Abstract: In the paper the method for estimation of throughput metrics like available bandwidth and end-t-end capacity is supposed. This method is based on measurement of network delay $D_i$ for packets of different sizes $W_i$. The simple expression for available bandwidth $B_{av} =(W_2-W_1)/(D_2-D_1)$ is substantiated. The number of experiments on matching of the results received new and traditional methods is spent. The received results testify to possibility of application of new model.


On the Geometry of Differential Privacy

Abstract: We consider the noise complexity of differentially private mechanisms in the setting where the user asks $d$ linear queries $f\colon\Rn\to\Re$ non-adaptively. Here, the database is represented by a vector in $\Rn$ and proximity between databases is measured in the $\ell_1$-metric. We show that the noise complexity is determined by two geometric parameters associated with the set of queries. We use this connection to give tight upper and lower bounds on the noise complexity for any $d \leq n$. We show that for $d$ random linear queries of sensitivity~1, it is necessary and sufficient to add $\ell_2$-error $\Theta(\min\{d\sqrt{d}/\epsilon,d\sqrt{\log (n/d)}/\epsilon\})$ to achieve $\epsilon$-differential privacy. Assuming the truth of a deep conjecture from convex geometry, known as the Hyperplane conjecture, we can extend our results to arbitrary linear queries giving nearly matching upper and lower bounds. Our bound translates to error $O(\min\{d/\epsilon,\sqrt{d\log(n/d)}/\epsilon\})$ per answer. The best previous upper bound (Laplacian mechanism) gives a bound of $O(\min\{d/\eps,\sqrt{n}/\epsilon\})$ per answer, while the best known lower bound was $\Omega(\sqrt{d}/\epsilon)$. In contrast, our lower bound is strong enough to separate the concept of differential privacy from the notion of approximate differential privacy where an upper bound of $O(\sqrt{d}/\epsilon)$ can be achieved.


A multiobjective Tabu framework for the optimization and evaluation of wireless systems

Abstract: This chapter will focus on the multiobjective formulation of an optimization problem and highlight the assets of a multiobjective Tabu implementation for such problems. An illustration of a specific Multiobjective Tabu heuristic (referred to as MO Tabu in the following) will be given for 2 particular problems arising in wireless systems. The first problem addresses the planning of access points for a WLAN network with some Quality of Service requirements and the second one provides an evaluation mean to assess the performance evaluation of a wireless sensor network. The chapter will begin with an overview of multiobjective (MO) optimization featuring the definitions and concepts of the domain (e.g. Dominance, Pareto front,...) and the main MO search heuristics available so far. We will then emphasize on the definition of a problem as a multiobjective optimization problem and illustrate it by the two examples from the field of wireless networking. The next part will focus on MO Tabu, a Tabu-inspired multiobjective heuristic and describe its assets compared to other MO heuristics. The last part of the chapter will show the results obtained with this MO Tabu strategy on the 2 wireless networks related problems. Conclusion on the use of Tabu as a multiobjective heuristic will be drawn based on the results presented so far.


On Lower Bounds for Constant Width Arithmetic Circuits

Abstract: The motivation for this paper is to study the complexity of constant-width arithmetic circuits. Our main results are the following. 1. For every k > 1, we provide an explicit polynomial that can be computed by a linear-sized monotone circuit of width 2k but has no subexponential-sized monotone circuit of width k. It follows, from the definition of the polynomial, that the constant-width and the constant-depth hierarchies of monotone arithmetic circuits are infinite, both in the commutative and the noncommutative settings. 2. We prove hardness-randomness tradeoffs for identity testing constant-width commutative circuits analogous to [KI03,DSY08].


Un syst\`eme modulaire d'acquisition automatique de traductions \`a partir du Web

Abstract: We present a method of automatic translation (French/English) of Complex Lexical Units (CLU) for aiming at extracting a bilingual lexicon. Our modular system is based on linguistic properties (compositionality, polysemy, etc.). Different aspects of the multilingual Web are used to validate candidate translations and collect new terms. We first build a French corpus of Web pages to collect CLU. Three adapted processing stages are applied for each linguistic property : compositional and non polysemous translations, compositional polysemous translations and non compositional translations. Our evaluation on a sample of CLU shows that our technique based on the Web can reach a very high precision.


Cross-layer Resource Allocation Scheme for Multi-band High Rate UWB Systems

Abstract: In this paper, we investigate the use of a cross-layer allocation mechanism for the high-rate ultra-wideband (UWB) systems. The aim of this paper is twofold. First, through the cross-layer approach that provides a new service differentiation approach to the fully distributed UWB systems, we support traffic with quality of service (QoS) guarantee in a multi-user context. Second, we exploit the effective SINR method that represents the characteristics of multiple sub-carrier SINRs in the multi-band WiMedia solution proposed for UWB systems, in order to provide the channel state information needed for the multi-user sub-band allocation. This new approach improves the system performance and optimizes the spectrum utilization with a low cost data exchange between the different users while guaranteeing the required QoS. In addition, this new approach solves the problem of the cohabitation of more than three users in the same WiMedia channel.


The Incidence Chromatic Number of Toroidal Grids

Abstract: An incidence in a graph $G$ is a pair $(v,e)$ with $v \in V(G)$ and $e \in E(G)$, such that $v$ and $e$ are incident. Two incidences $(v,e)$ and $(w,f)$ are adjacent if $v=w$, or $e=f$, or the edge $vw$ equals $e$ or $f$. The incidence chromatic number of $G$ is the smallest $k$ for which there exists a mapping from the set of incidences of $G$ to a set of $k$ colors that assigns distinct colors to adjacent incidences. In this paper, we prove that the incidence chromatic number of the toroidal grid $T_{m,n}=C_m\Box C_n$ equals 5 when $m,n \equiv 0 \pmod 5$ and 6 otherwise.


Decidability of higher-order matching

Abstract: We show that the higher-order matching problem is decidable using a game-theoretic argument.


Self-adaptive web intrusion detection system

Abstract: The evolution of the web server contents and the emergence of new kinds of intrusions make necessary the adaptation of the intrusion detection systems (IDS). Nowadays, the adaptation of the IDS requires manual -- tedious and unreactive -- actions from system administrators. In this paper, we present a self-adaptive intrusion detection system which relies on a set of local model-based diagnosers. The redundancy of diagnoses is exploited, online, by a meta-diagnoser to check the consistency of computed partial diagnoses, and to trigger the adaptation of defective diagnoser models (or signatures) in case of inconsistency. This system is applied to the intrusion detection from a stream of HTTP requests. Our results show that our system 1) detects intrusion occurrences sensitively and precisely, 2) accurately self-adapts diagnoser model, thus improving its detection accuracy.


USUM: Update Summary Generation System

Abstract: Huge amount of information is present in the World Wide Web and a large amount is being added to it frequently. A query-specific summary of multiple documents is very helpful to the user in this context. Currently, few systems have been proposed for query-specific, extractive multi-document summarization. If a summary is available for a set of documents on a given query and if a new document is added to the corpus, generating an updated summary from the scratch is time consuming and many a times it is not practical/possible. In this paper we propose a solution to this problem. This is especially useful in a scenario where the source documents are not accessible. We cleverly embed the sentences of the current summary into the new document and then perform query-specific summary generation on that document. Our experimental results show that the performance of the proposed approach is good in terms of both quality and efficiency.


Experimental DML over digital repositories in Japan

Abstract: In this paper the authors show an overview of Virtual Digital Mathematics Library in Japan (DML-JP), contents of which consist of metadata harvested from institutional repositories in Japan and digital repositories in the world. DML-JP is, in a sense, a subject specific repository which collaborate with various digital repositories. Beyond portal website, DML-JP provides subject-specific metadata through OAI-ORE. By the schema it is enabled that digital repositories can load the rich metadata which were added by mathematicians.


Artificial Dendritic Cells: Multi-faceted Perspectives

Abstract: Dendritic cells are the crime scene investigators of the human immune system. Their function is to correlate potentially anomalous invading entities with observed damage to the body. The detection of such invaders by dendritic cells results in the activation of the adaptive immune system, eventually leading to the removal of the invader from the host body. This mechanism has provided inspiration for the development of a novel bio-inspired algorithm, the Dendritic Cell Algorithm. This algorithm processes information at multiple levels of resolution, resulting in the creation of information granules of variable structure. In this chapter we examine the multi-faceted nature of immunology and how research in this field has shaped the function of the resulting Dendritic Cell Algorithm. A brief overview of the algorithm is given in combination with the details of the processes used for its development. The chapter is concluded with a discussion of the parallels between our understanding of the human immune system and how such knowledge influences the design of artificial immune systems.


Deep Diving into BitTorrent Locality

Abstract: A substantial amount of work has recently gone into localizing BitTorrent traffic within an ISP in order to avoid excessive and often times unnecessary transit costs. Several architectures and systems have been proposed and the initial results from specific ISPs and a few torrents have been encouraging. In this work we attempt to deepen and scale our understanding of locality and its potential. Looking at specific ISPs, we consider tens of thousands of concurrent torrents, and thus capture ISP-wide implications that cannot be appreciated by looking at only a handful of torrents. Secondly, we go beyond individual case studies and present results for the top 100 ISPs in terms of number of users represented in our dataset of up to 40K torrents involving more than 3.9M concurrent peers and more than 20M in the course of a day spread in 11K ASes. We develop scalable methodologies that permit us to process this huge dataset and answer questions such as: "\emph{what is the minimum and the maximum transit traffic reduction across hundreds of ISPs?}", "\emph{what are the win-win boundaries for ISPs and their users?}", "\emph{what is the maximum amount of transit traffic that can be localized without requiring fine-grained control of inter-AS overlay connections?}", "\emph{what is the impact to transit traffic from upgrades of residential broadband speeds?}".


P != NP Proof

Abstract: This paper demonstrates that P \not= NP. The way was to generalize the traditional definitions of the classes P and NP, to construct an artificial problem (a generalization to SAT: The XG-SAT, much more difficult than the former) and then to demonstrate that it is in NP but not in P (where the classes P and NP are generalized and called too simply P and NP in this paper, and then it is explained why the traditional classes P and NP should be fixed and replaced by these generalized ones into Theory of Computer Science). The demonstration consists of: 1. Definition of Restricted Type X Program; 2. Definition of the General Extended Problem of Satisfiability of a Boolean Formula - XG-SAT; 3. Generalization to classes P and NP; 4. Demonstration that the XG-SAT is in NP; 5. Demonstration that the XG-SAT is not in P; 6. Demonstration that the Baker-Gill-Solovay Theorem does not refute the proof; 7. Demonstration that the Razborov-Rudich Theorem does not refute the proof; 8. Demonstration that the Aaronson-Wigderson Theorem does not refute the proof.


Throughput-Optimal Opportunistic Scheduling in the Presence of Flow-Level Dynamics

Abstract: We consider multiuser scheduling in wireless networks with channel variations and flow-level dynamics. Recently, it has been shown that the MaxWeight algorithm, which is throughput-optimal in networks with a fixed number users, fails to achieve the maximum throughput in the presence of flow-level dynamics. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm, called workload-based scheduling with learning, which is provably throughput-optimal, requires no prior knowledge of channels and user demands, and performs significantly better than previously suggested algorithms.


Service-oriented high level architecture

Abstract: Service-oriented High Level Architecture (SOHLA) refers to the high level architecture (HLA) enabled by Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Web Services etc. techniques which supports distributed interoperating services. The detailed comparisons between HLA and SOA are made to illustrate the importance of their combination. Then several key enhancements and changes of HLA Evolved Web Service API are introduced in comparison with native APIs, such as Federation Development and Execution Process, communication mechanisms, data encoding, session handling, testing environment and performance analysis. Some approaches are summarized including Web-Enabling HLA at the communication layer, HLA interface specification layer, federate interface layer and application layer. Finally the problems of current research are discussed, and the future directions are pointed out.


Contextual Bandits with Similarity Information

Abstract: In a multi-armed bandit (MAB) problem, an online algorithm makes a sequence of choices. In each round it chooses from a time-invariant set of alternatives and receives the payoff associated with this alternative. While the case of small strategy sets is by now well-understood, a lot of recent work has focused on MAB problems with exponentially or infinitely large strategy sets, where one needs to assume extra structure in order to make the problem tractable. In particular, recent literature considered information on similarity between arms. We consider similarity information in the setting of "contextual bandits", a natural extension of the basic MAB problem where before each round an algorithm is given the "context" -- a hint about the payoffs in this round. Contextual bandits are directly motivated by placing advertisements on webpages, one of the crucial problems in sponsored search. A particularly simple way to represent similarity information in the contextual bandit setting is via a "similarity distance" between the context-arm pairs which gives an upper bound on the difference between the respective expected payoffs. Prior work on contextual bandits with similarity uses "uniform" partitions of the similarity space, which is potentially wasteful. We design more efficient algorithms that are based on adaptive partitions adjusted to "popular" context and "high-payoff" arms.


Arithmetic Circuits and the Hadamard Product of Polynomials

Abstract: Motivated by the Hadamard product of matrices we define the Hadamard product of multivariate polynomials and study its arithmetic circuit and branching program complexity. We also give applications and connections to polynomial identity testing. Our main results are the following. 1. We show that noncommutative polynomial identity testing for algebraic branching programs over rationals is complete for the logspace counting class $\ceql$, and over fields of characteristic $p$ the problem is in $\ModpL/\Poly$. 2.We show an exponential lower bound for expressing the Raz-Yehudayoff polynomial as the Hadamard product of two monotone multilinear polynomials. In contrast the Permanent can be expressed as the Hadamard product of two monotone multilinear formulas of quadratic size.


Cutting a Convex Polyhedron Out of a Sphere

Abstract: Given a convex polyhedron $P$ of $n$ vertices inside a sphere $Q$, we give an $O(n^3)$-time algorithm that cuts $P$ out of $Q$ by using guillotine cuts and has cutting cost $O((\log n)^2)$ times the optimal.


A Secure Wireless Routing Protocol Using Enhanced Chain Signatures

Abstract: We propose a routing protocol for wireless networks. Wireless routing protocols allow hosts within a network to have some knowledge of the topology in order to know when to forward a packet (via broadcast) and when to drop it. Since a routing protocol forms the backbone of a network, it is a lucrative target for many attacks, all of which attempt to disrupt network traffic by corrupting routing tables of neighboring routers using false updates. Secure routing protocols designed for wired networks (such as S-BGP) are not scalable in an ad-hoc wireless environment because of two main drawbacks: (1) the need to maintain knowledge about all immediate neighbors (which requires a discovery protocol), and (2) the need to transmit the same update several times, one for each neighbor. Although information about neighbors is readily available in a fairly static and wired network, such information is often not updated or available in an ad-hoc wireless network with mobile devices. Our protocol is a variant of S-BGP called SS-BGP and allows a single broadcast for routing updates without having the need to be aware of every neighboring router. The protocol is based on a novel authentication primitive called Enhanced Chain Signatures (ECS).


Beyond Turing Machines

Abstract: This paper discusses "computational" systems capable of "computing" functions not computable by predefined Turing machines if the systems are not isolated from their environment. Roughly speaking, these systems can change their finite descriptions by interacting with their environment.


Relativized hyperequivalence of logic programs for modular programming

Abstract: A recent framework of relativized hyperequivalence of programs offers a unifying generalization of strong and uniform equivalence. It seems to be especially well suited for applications in program optimization and modular programming due to its flexibility that allows us to restrict, independently of each other, the head and body alphabets in context programs. We study relativized hyperequivalence for the three semantics of logic programs given by stable, supported and supported minimal models. For each semantics, we identify four types of contexts, depending on whether the head and body alphabets are given directly or as the complement of a given set. Hyperequivalence relative to contexts where the head and body alphabets are specified directly has been studied before. In this paper, we establish the complexity of deciding relativized hyperequivalence with respect to the three other types of context programs. To appear in Theory and Practice of Logic Programming (TPLP).


Spending is not Easier than Trading: On the Computational Equivalence of Fisher and Arrow-Debreu Equilibria

Abstract: It is a common belief that computing a market equilibrium in Fisher's spending model is easier than computing a market equilibrium in Arrow-Debreu's exchange model. This belief is built on the fact that we have more algorithmic success in Fisher equilibria than Arrow-Debreu equilibria. For example, a Fisher equilibrium in a Leontief market can be found in polynomial time, while it is PPAD-hard to compute an approximate Arrow-Debreu equilibrium in a Leontief market. In this paper, we show that even when all the utilities are additively separable, piecewise-linear, and concave functions, finding an approximate equilibrium in Fisher's model is complete in PPAD. Our result solves a long-term open question on the complexity of market equilibria. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first PPAD-completeness result for Fisher's model.


Budget Constrained Auctions with Heterogeneous Items

Abstract: In this paper, we present the first approximation algorithms for the problem of designing revenue optimal Bayesian incentive compatible auctions when there are multiple (heterogeneous) items and when bidders can have arbitrary demand and budget constraints. Our mechanisms are surprisingly simple: We show that a sequential all-pay mechanism is a 4 approximation to the revenue of the optimal ex-interim truthful mechanism with discrete correlated type space for each bidder. We also show that a sequential posted price mechanism is a O(1) approximation to the revenue of the optimal ex-post truthful mechanism when the type space of each bidder is a product distribution that satisfies the standard hazard rate condition. We further show a logarithmic approximation when the hazard rate condition is removed, and complete the picture by showing that achieving a sub-logarithmic approximation, even for regular distributions and one bidder, requires pricing bundles of items. Our results are based on formulating novel LP relaxations for these problems, and developing generic rounding schemes from first principles. We believe this approach will be useful in other Bayesian mechanism design contexts.


Primitive Recursive Presentations of Automata and their Products

Abstract: Methods for specifying Moore type state machines (transducers) abstractly via primitive recursive functions and for defining parallel composition via simultaneous primitive recursion are discussed. The method is mostly of interest as a concise and convenient way of working with the complex state systems found in computer programming and engineering, but a short section indicates connections to algebraic automata theory and the theorem of Krohn and Rhodes.


The Basic Discrete Hilbert Transform with an Information Hiding Application

Abstract: This paper presents several experimental findings related to the basic discrete Hilbert transform. The errors in the use of a finite set of the transform values have been tabulated for the more commonly used functions. The error can be quite small and, for example, it is of the order of 10^{-17} for the chirp signal. The use of the discrete Hilbert transform in hiding information is presented.


On Descriptional Complexity of the Planarity Problem for Gauss Words

Abstract: In this paper we investigate the descriptional complexity of knot theoretic problems and show upper bounds for planarity problem of signed and unsigned knot diagrams represented by Gauss words. Since a topological equivalence of knots can involve knot diagrams with arbitrarily many crossings then Gauss words will be considered as strings over an infinite (unbounded) alphabet. For establishing the upper bounds on recognition of knot properties, we study these problems in a context of automata models over an infinite alphabet.


The Semigroup of Combinatorial Configurations

Abstract: A (v,b,r,k) combinatorial configuration is a (r,k)-biregular bipartite graph with v vertices on the left and b vertices on the right and with no cycle of length 4. Combinatorial configurations have become very important for some cryptographic applications to sensor networks and to peer-to-peer communities. Configurable tuples are those tuples (v,b,r,k) for which a (v,b,r,k) combinatorial configuration exists. It is proved in this work that the set of configurable tuples with fixed r and k has the structure of a numerical semigroup. The numerical semigroup is completely described for r=2 and r=3.


Buffered Aloha with K-Exponential Backoff -- Part I: Stability and Throughput Analysis

Abstract: This two-part paper series studies the performance of buffered Aloha networks with K-Exponential Backoff collision resolution algorithms. Part I focuses on stability and throughput analysis and Part II presents the delay analysis. In Part I, the buffered Aloha network is modeled as a multi-queue single-server system. We adopt a widely used approach in packet switching systems to decompose the multi-queue system into independent first-in-first-out (FIFO) queues, which are hinged together by the probability of success of head-of-line (HOL) packets. A unified method is devised to tackle the stability and throughput problems of K-Exponential Backoff with any cutoff phase K. We demonstrate that a network with K-Exponential Backoff can be stabilized if the retransmission factor q is properly selected. The stable region of q is characterized and illustrated via examples of Geometric Retransmission (K=1) and Exponential Backoff (K=infinity). With an increasing number of nodes n, we show that the stable region of Geometric Retransmission rapidly shrinks, and vanishes as n goes to infinity. In contrast, the stable region of Exponential Backoff does not vary with the network population n, implying that a stable throughput can be achieved in networks with Exponential Backoff even with an infinite number of nodes. All the analytical results presented in this paper series are verified by simulations.


Buffered Aloha with K-Exponential Backoff -- Part II: Delay Analysis

Abstract: This paper presents the delay analysis for buffered Aloha networks with K-Exponential Backoff. Mean access delay and mean queueing delay are derived and demonstrated via the examples of Geometric Retransmission (K=1) and Exponential Backoff (K=infinity). The comparison shows that higher delay is incurred with Geometric Retransmission when the aggregate input rate is small, and the delay gap is enlarged as the number of nodes n increases. With a high traffic input rate, however, the delay performance with Exponential Backoff severely deteriorates. The mean queueing delay will be unbounded if the aggregate input rate exceeds 0.3. We also extend the analysis to the contention-window-based backoff model which is widely adopted in practical MAC protocols. It will be revealed that both the retransmission-probability-based and the contention-window-based models exhibit the same stable region and achieve similar queueing performance in most cases, which justifies the intuition that was taken but remained unverified in previous studies: the retransmission-probability-based backoff model can serve as a good approximation of the contention-window-based one.


On the Duality of Probing and Fault Attacks

Abstract: In this work we investigate the problem of simultaneous privacy and integrity protection in cryptographic circuits. We consider a white-box scenario with a powerful, yet limited attacker. A concise metric for the level of probing and fault security is introduced, which is directly related to the capabilities of a realistic attacker. In order to investigate the interrelation of probing and fault security we introduce a common mathematical framework based on the formalism of information and coding theory. The framework unifies the known linear masking schemes. We proof a central theorem about the properties of linear codes which leads to optimal secret sharing schemes. These schemes provide the lower bound for the number of masks needed to counteract an attacker with a given strength. The new formalism reveals an intriguing duality principle between the problems of probing and fault security, and provides a unified view on privacy and integrity protection using error detecting codes. Finally, we introduce a new class of linear tamper-resistant codes. These are eligible to preserve security against an attacker mounting simultaneous probing and fault attacks.


Domination Problems in Nowhere-Dense Classes of Graphs

Abstract: We investigate the parameterized complexity of generalisations and variations of the dominating set problem on classes of graphs that are nowhere dense. In particular, we show that the distance-d dominating-set problem, also known as the (k,d)-centres problem, is fixed-parameter tractable on any class that is nowhere dense and closed under induced subgraphs. This generalises known results about the dominating set problem on H-minor free classes, classes with locally excluded minors and classes of graphs of bounded expansion. A key feature of our proof is that it is based simply on the fact that these graph classes are uniformly quasi-wide, and does not rely on a structural decomposition. Our result also establishes that the distance-d dominating-set problem is FPT on classes of bounded expansion, answering a question of Ne{\v s}et{\v{r}}il and Ossona de Mendez.


Algorithms for Glushkov K-graphs

Abstract: The automata arising from the well known conversion of regular expression to non deterministic automata have rather particular transition graphs. We refer to them as the Glushkov graphs, to honour his nice expression-to-automaton algorithmic short cut (On a synthesis algorithm for abstract automata, Ukr. Matem. Zhurnal, 12(2):147-156, 1960, In Russian). The Glushkov graphs have been characterized (P. Caron and D. Ziadi, Characterization of Glushkov automata. Theoret. Comput. Sci., 233(1-2):75-90, 2000) in terms of simple graph theoretical properties and certain reduction rules. We show how to carry, under certain restrictions, this characterization over to the weighted Glushkov graphs. With the weights in a semiring K, they are defined as the transition Glushkov K-graphs of the Weighted Finite Automata (WFA) obtained by the generalized Glushkov construction (P. Caron and M. Flouret, Glushkov construction for series: the non commutative case, Internat. J. Comput. Math., 80(4):457-472, 2003) from the K-expressions. It works provided that the semiring K is factorial and the K-expressions are in the so called star normal form (SNF) of Bruggeman-Klein (Regular expressions into finite automata, Theoret. Comput. Sci., 120(2):197-213, 1993) The restriction to the factorial semiring ensures to obtain algorithms. The restriction to the SNF would not be necessary if every K-expressions were equivalent to some with the same litteral length, as it is the case for the boolean semiring B but remains an open question for a general K.


Parametric packing of selfish items and the subset sum algorithm

Abstract: The subset sum algorithm is a natural heuristic for the classical Bin Packing problem: In each iteration, the algorithm finds among the unpacked items, a maximum size set of items that fits into a new bin. More than 35 years after its first mention in the literature, establishing the worst-case performance of this heuristic remains, surprisingly, an open problem. Due to their simplicity and intuitive appeal, greedy algorithms are the heuristics of choice of many practitioners. Therefore, better understanding simple greedy heuristics is, in general, an interesting topic in its own right. Very recently, Epstein and Kleiman (Proc. ESA 2008) provided another incentive to study the subset sum algorithm by showing that the Strong Price of Anarchy of the game theoretic version of the bin-packing problem is precisely the approximation ratio of this heuristic. In this paper we establish the exact approximation ratio of the subset sum algorithm, thus settling a long standing open problem. We generalize this result to the parametric variant of the bin packing problem where item sizes lie on the interval (0,\alpha] for some \alpha \leq 1, yielding tight bounds for the Strong Price of Anarchy for all \alpha \leq 1. Finally, we study the pure Price of Anarchy of the parametric Bin Packing game for which we show nearly tight upper and lower bounds for all \alpha \leq 1.


Modular Verification of Recursive Programs

Abstract: We argue that verification of recursive programs by means of the assertional method of C.A.R. Hoare can be conceptually simplified using a modular reasoning. In this approach some properties of the program are established first and subsequently used to establish other program properties. We illustrate this approach by providing a modular correctness proof of the Quicksort program.


Learning Object Location Predictors with Boosting and Grammar-Guided Feature Extraction

Abstract: We present BEAMER: a new spatially exploitative approach to learning object detectors which shows excellent results when applied to the task of detecting objects in greyscale aerial imagery in the presence of ambiguous and noisy data. There are four main contributions used to produce these results. First, we introduce a grammar-guided feature extraction system, enabling the exploration of a richer feature space while constraining the features to a useful subset. This is specified with a rule-based generative grammar crafted by a human expert. Second, we learn a classifier on this data using a newly proposed variant of AdaBoost which takes into account the spatially correlated nature of the data. Third, we perform another round of training to optimize the method of converting the pixel classifications generated by boosting into a high quality set of (x, y) locations. Lastly, we carefully define three common problems in object detection and define two evaluation criteria that are tightly matched to these problems. Major strengths of this approach are: (1) a way of randomly searching a broad feature space, (2) its performance when evaluated on well-matched evaluation criteria, and (3) its use of the location prediction domain to learn object detectors as well as to generate detections that perform well on several tasks: object counting, tracking, and target detection. We demonstrate the efficacy of BEAMER with a comprehensive experimental evaluation on a challenging data set.


Convergence of Local Dynamics to Balanced Outcomes in Exchange Networks

Abstract: Bargaining games on exchange networks have been studied by both economists and sociologists. A Balanced Outcome for such a game is an equilibrium concept that combines notions of stability and fairness. In a recent paper, Kleinberg and Tardos introduced balanced outcomes to the computer science community and provided a polynomial-time algorithm to compute the set of such outcomes. Their work left open a pertinent question: are there natural, local dynamics that converge quickly to a balanced outcome? In this paper, we provide a partial answer to this question by showing that simple edge-balancing dynamics converge to a balanced outcome whenever one exists.


Dynamic Deformation of Uniform Elastic Two-Layer Objects

Abstract: This thesis presents a two-layer uniform facet elastic object for real-time simulation based on physics modeling method. It describes the elastic object procedural modeling algorithm with particle system from the simplest one-dimensional object, to more complex two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. The double-layered elastic object consists of inner and outer elastic mass spring surfaces and compressible internal pressure. The density of the inner layer can be set different from the density of the outer layer; the motion of the inner layer can be opposite to the motion of the outer layer. These special features, which cannot be achieved by a single layered object, result in improved imitation of a soft body, such as tissue's liquidity non-uniform deformation. The construction of the double-layered elastic object is closer to the real tissue's physical structure. The inertial behavior of the elastic object is well illustrated in environments with gravity and collisions with walls, ceiling, and floor. The collision detection is defined by elastic collision penalty method and the motion of the object is guided by the Ordinary Differential Equation computation. Users can interact with the modeled objects, deform them, and observe the response to their action in real time.


The Cost of Stability in Coalitional Games

Abstract: A key question in cooperative game theory is that of coalitional stability, usually captured by the notion of the \emph{core}--the set of outcomes such that no subgroup of players has an incentive to deviate. However, some coalitional games have empty cores, and any outcome in such a game is unstable. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of stabilizing a coalitional game by using external payments. We consider a scenario where an external party, which is interested in having the players work together, offers a supplemental payment to the grand coalition (or, more generally, a particular coalition structure). This payment is conditional on players not deviating from their coalition(s). The sum of this payment plus the actual gains of the coalition(s) may then be divided among the agents so as to promote stability. We define the \emph{cost of stability (CoS)} as the minimal external payment that stabilizes the game. We provide general bounds on the cost of stability in several classes of games, and explore its algorithmic properties. To develop a better intuition for the concepts we introduce, we provide a detailed algorithmic study of the cost of stability in weighted voting games, a simple but expressive class of games which can model decision-making in political bodies, and cooperation in multiagent settings. Finally, we extend our model and results to games with coalition structures.


Evolution of Digital Logic Functionality via a Genetic Algorithm

Abstract: Digital logic forms the functional basics of most modern electronic equipment and as such the creation of novel digital logic circuits is an active area of computer engineering research. This study demonstrates that genetic algorithms can be used to evolve functionally useful sets of logic gate interconnections to create useful digital logic circuits. The efficacy of this approach is illustrated via the evolution of AND, OR, XOR, NOR, and XNOR functionality from sets of NAND gates, thereby illustrating that evolutionary methods have the potential be applied to the design of digital electronics.


Graphical Probabilistic Routing Model for OBS Networks with Realistic Traffic Scenario

Abstract: Burst contention is a well-known challenging problem in Optical Burst Switching (OBS) networks. Contention resolution approaches are always reactive and attempt to minimize the BLR based on local information available at the core node. On the other hand, a proactive approach that avoids burst losses before they occur is desirable. To reduce the probability of burst contention, a more robust routing algorithm than the shortest path is needed. This paper proposes a new routing mechanism for JET-based OBS networks, called Graphical Probabilistic Routing Model (GPRM) that selects less utilized links, on a hop-by-hop basis by using a bayesian network. We assume no wavelength conversion and no buffering to be available at the core nodes of the OBS network. We simulate the proposed approach under dynamic load to demonstrate that it reduces the Burst Loss Ratio (BLR) compared to static approaches by using Network Simulator 2 (ns-2) on NSFnet network topology and with realistic traffic matrix. Simulation results clearly show that the proposed approach outperforms static approaches in terms of BLR.


What type of distribution for packet delay in a global network should be used in the control theory?

Abstract: In this paper correspondence between experimental data for packet delay and two theoretical types of distribution is investigated. Calculations have shown that the exponential distribution describes the data on network delay better, than truncated normal distribution. Precision experimental data to within microseconds are gathered by means of the RIPE Test Box. In addition to exact measurements the data gathered by means of the utility {\em ping} has been parsed that has not changed the main result. As a result, the equation for an exponential distribution, in the best way describing process of packet delay in a TCP/IP based network is written. The search algorithm for key parameters as for normal, and an exponential distribution is resulted.


Full abstraction for nominal general references

Abstract: Game semantics has been used with considerable success in formulating fully abstract semantics for languages with higher-order procedures and a wide range of computational effects. Recently, nominal games have been proposed for modelling functional languages with names. These are ordinary, stateful games cast in the theory of nominal sets developed by Pitts and Gabbay. Here we take nominal games one step further, by developing a fully abstract semantics for a language with nominal general references.


Vertex Cover Problem Parameterized Above and Below Tight Bounds

Abstract: We study the well-known Vertex Cover problem parameterized above and below tight bounds. We show that two of the parameterizations (both were suggested by Mahajan, Raman and Sikdar, J. Computer and System Sciences, 75(2):137--153, 2009) are fixed-parameter tractable and two other parameterizations are W[1]-hard (one of them is, in fact, W[2]-hard).


Pattern Recognition Theory of Mind

Abstract: I propose that pattern recognition, memorization and processing are key concepts that can be a principle set for the theoretical modeling of the mind function. Most of the questions about the mind functioning can be answered by a descriptive modeling and definitions from these principles. An understandable consciousness definition can be drawn based on the assumption that a pattern recognition system can recognize its own patterns of activity. The principles, descriptive modeling and definitions can be a basis for theoretical and applied research on cognitive sciences, particularly at artificial intelligence studies.


Clone Theory and Algebraic Logic

Abstract: The concept of a clone is central to many branches of mathematics, such as universal algebra, algebraic logic, and lambda calculus. Abstractly a clone is a category with two objects such that one is a countably infinite power of the other. Left and right algebras over a clone are covariant and contravariant functors from the category to that of sets respectively. In this paper we show that first-order logic can be studied effectively using the notions of right and left algebras over a clone. It is easy to translate the classical treatment of logic into our setting and prove all the fundamental theorems of first-order theory algebraically.


Quotient Complexity of Regular Languages

Abstract: The past research on the state complexity of operations on regular languages is examined, and a new approach based on an old method (derivatives of regular expressions) is presented. Since state complexity is a property of a language, it is appropriate to define it in formal-language terms as the number of distinct quotients of the language, and to call it "quotient complexity". The problem of finding the quotient complexity of a language f(K,L) is considered, where K and L are regular languages and f is a regular operation, for example, union or concatenation. Since quotients can be represented by derivatives, one can find a formula for the typical quotient of f(K,L) in terms of the quotients of K and L. To obtain an upper bound on the number of quotients of f(K,L) all one has to do is count how many such quotients are possible, and this makes automaton constructions unnecessary. The advantages of this point of view are illustrated by many examples. Moreover, new general observations are presented to help in the estimation of the upper bounds on quotient complexity of regular operations.


The Nondeterministic Waiting Time Algorithm: A Review

Abstract: We present briefly the Nondeterministic Waiting Time algorithm. Our technique for the simulation of biochemical reaction networks has the ability to mimic the Gillespie Algorithm for some networks and solutions to ordinary differential equations for other networks, depending on the rules of the system, the kinetic rates and numbers of molecules. We provide a full description of the algorithm as well as specifics on its implementation. Some results for two well-known models are reported. We have used the algorithm to explore Fas-mediated apoptosis models in cancerous and HIV-1 infected T cells.


Fact Sheet on Semantic Web

Abstract: The report gives an overview about activities on the topic Semantic Web. It has been released as technical report for the project "KTweb -- Connecting Knowledge Technologies Communities" in 2003.


Solving MAX-r-SAT Above a Tight Lower Bound

Abstract: We present an exact algorithm that decides, for every fixed $r \geq 2$ in time $O(m) + 2^{O(k^2)}$ whether a given multiset of $m$ clauses of size $r$ admits a truth assignment that satisfies at least $((2^r-1)m+k)/2^r$ clauses. Thus \textsc{Max-$r$-Sat} is fixed-parameter tractable when parameterized by the number of satisfied clauses above the tight lower bound $(1-2^{-r})m$. This solves an open problem of Mahajan et al. (J. Comput. System Sci., 75, 2009). Our algorithm is based on a polynomial-time data reduction procedure that reduces a problem instance to an equivalent algebraically represented problem with $O(k^2)$ variables. This is done by representing the instance as an appropriate polynomial, and by applying a probabilistic argument combined with some simple tools from Harmonic analysis to show that if the polynomial cannot be reduced to one of size $O(k^2)$, then there is a truth assignment satisfying the required number of clauses. We introduce a new notion of bikernelization from a parameterized problem to another one and apply it to prove that the above-mentioned parameterized \textsc{Max-$r$-Sat} admits a polynomial-size kernel. Combining another probabilistic argument with tools from graph matching theory and signed graphs, we show that if an instance of \textsc{Max-2-Sat} with $m$ clauses has at least $3k$ variables after application of certain polynomial time reduction rules to it, then there is a truth assignment that satisfies at least $(3m+k)/4$ clauses. We also outline how the fixed-parameter tractability and polynomial-size kernel results on \textsc{Max-$r$-Sat} can be extended to more general families of Boolean Constraint Satisfaction Problems.


Slowly synchronizing automata with zero and incomplete sets

Abstract: Using combinatorial properties of incomplete sets in a free monoid we construct a series of n-state deterministic automata with zero whose shortest synchronizing word has length n^2/4+n/2-1.


Aneka: A Software Platform for .NET-based Cloud Computing

Abstract: Aneka is a platform for deploying Clouds developing applications on top of it. It provides a runtime environment and a set of APIs that allow developers to build .NET applications that leverage their computation on either public or private clouds. One of the key features of Aneka is the ability of supporting multiple programming models that are ways of expressing the execution logic of applications by using specific abstractions. This is accomplished by creating a customizable and extensible service oriented runtime environment represented by a collection of software containers connected together. By leveraging on these architecture advanced services including resource reservation, persistence, storage management, security, and performance monitoring have been implemented. On top of this infrastructure different programming models can be plugged to provide support for different scenarios as demonstrated by the engineering, life science, and industry applications.


Small-step and big-step semantics for call-by-need

Abstract: We present natural semantics for acyclic as well as cyclic call-by-need lambda calculi, which are proved equivalent to the reduction semantics given by Ariola and Felleisen. The natural semantics are big-step and use global heaps, where evaluation is suspended and memorized. The reduction semantics are small-step and evaluation is suspended and memorized locally in let-bindings. Thus two styles of formalization describe the call-by-need strategy from different angles. The natural semantics for the acyclic calculus is revised from the previous presentation by Maraist et al. and its adequacy is ascribed to its correspondence with the reduction semantics, which has been proved equivalent to call-by-name by Ariola and Felleisen. The natural semantics for the cyclic calculus is inspired by that of Launchbury and Sestoft and we state its adequacy using a denotational semantics in the style of Launchbury; adequacy of the reduction semantics for the cyclic calculus is in turn ascribed to its correspondence with the natural semantics.


Alice Meets Bob: A Comparative Usability Study of Wireless Device Pairing Methods for a "Two-User" Setting

Abstract: When users want to establish wireless communication between/among their devices, the channel has to be bootstrapped first. To prevent any malicious control of or eavesdropping over the communication, the channel is desired to be authenticated and confidential. The process of setting up a secure communication channel between two previously unassociated devices is referred to as "Secure Device Pairing". When there is no prior security context, e.g., shared secrets, common key servers or public key certificates, device pairing requires user involvement into the process. The idea usually involves leveraging an auxiliary human-perceptible channel to authenticate the data exchanged over the insecure wireless channel. We observe that the focus of prior research has mostly been limited to pairing scenarios where a single user controls both the devices. In this paper, we consider more general and emerging "two-user" scenarios, where two different users establish pairing between their respective devices. Although a number of pairing methods exists in the literature, only a handful of those are applicable to the two-user setting. We present the first study to identify the methods practical for two-user pairing scenarios, and comparatively evaluate the usability of these methods. Our results identify methods best-suited for users, in terms of efficiency, error-tolerance and of course, usability. Our work sheds light on the applicability and usability of pairing methods for emerging two-user scenarios, a topic largely ignored so far.


Probabilistic Automata over Infinite Words: Expressiveness, Efficiency, and Decidability

Abstract: Probabilistic omega-automata are variants of nondeterministic automata for infinite words where all choices are resolved by probabilistic distributions. Acceptance of an infinite input word can be defined in different ways: by requiring that (i) the probability for the accepting runs is positive (probable semantics), or (ii) almost all runs are accepting (almost-sure semantics), or (iii) the probability measure of the accepting runs is greater than a certain threshold (threshold semantics). The underlying notion of an accepting run can be defined as for standard omega-automata by means of a Buechi condition or other acceptance conditions, e.g., Rabin or Streett conditions. In this paper, we put the main focus on the probable semantics and provide a summary of the fundamental properties of probabilistic omega-automata concerning expressiveness, efficiency, and decision problems.


Complexity Classes of Equivalence Problems Revisited

Abstract: To determine if two lists of numbers are the same set, we sort both lists and see if we get the same result. The sorted list is a canonical form for the equivalence relation of set equality. Other canonical forms arise in graph isomorphism algorithms, and the equality of permutation groups given by generators. To determine if two graphs are cospectral (have the same eigenvalues), however, we compute their characteristic polynomials and see if they are the same; the characteristic polynomial is a complete invariant for the equivalence relation of cospectrality. This is weaker than a canonical form, and it is not known whether a polynomial-time canonical form for cospectrality exists. Note that it is a priori possible for an equivalence relation to be decidable in polynomial time without either a complete invariant or canonical form. Blass and Gurevich (SIAM J. Comput., 1984) ask whether these conditions on equivalence relations -- having an FP canonical form, having an FP complete invariant, and simply being in P -- are in fact different. They showed that this question requires non-relativizing techniques to resolve. Here we extend their results, and give new connections to probabilistic and quantum computation.


The Open Cloud Testbed: A Wide Area Testbed for Cloud Computing Utilizing High Performance Network Services

Abstract: Recently, a number of cloud platforms and services have been developed for data intensive computing, including Hadoop, Sector, CloudStore (formerly KFS), HBase, and Thrift. In order to benchmark the performance of these systems, to investigate their interoperability, and to experiment with new services based on flexible compute node and network provisioning capabilities, we have designed and implemented a large scale testbed called the Open Cloud Testbed (OCT). Currently the OCT has 120 nodes in four data centers: Baltimore, Chicago (two locations), and San Diego. In contrast to other cloud testbeds, which are in small geographic areas and which are based on commodity Internet services, the OCT is a wide area testbed and the four data centers are connected with a high performance 10Gb/s network, based on a foundation of dedicated lightpaths. This testbed can address the requirements of extremely large data streams that challenge other types of distributed infrastructure. We have also developed several utilities to support the development of cloud computing systems and services, including novel node and network provisioning services, a monitoring system, and a RPC system. In this paper, we describe the OCT architecture and monitoring system. We also describe some benchmarks that we developed and some interoperability studies we performed using these benchmarks.


A Survey on BGP Issues and Solutions

Abstract: BGP is the de facto protocol used for inter-autonomous system routing in the Internet. Generally speaking, BGP has been proven to be secure, efficient, scalable, and robust. However, with the rapid evolving of the Internet in the past few decades, there are increasing concerns about BGS's ability to meet the needs of the Internet routing. There are two major limitations of BGP which are its failure to address several key security issues, and some operational related problems. The design and ubiquity of BGP have complicated past efforts at securing inter-domain routing. This paper surveys the past work related to BGP security and operational issues. We explore the limitations and advantages of proposed solutions in these two limitations.


Tunable locally-optimal geographical forwarding in wireless sensor networks with sleep-wake cycling nodes

Abstract: We consider a wireless sensor network whose main function is to detect certain infrequent alarm events, and to forward alarm packets to a base station, using geographical forwarding. The nodes know their locations, and they sleep-wake cycle, waking up periodically but not synchronously. In this situation, when a node has a packet to forward to the sink, there is a trade-off between how long this node waits for a suitable neighbor to wake up and the progress the packet makes towards the sink once it is forwarded to this neighbr. Hence, in choosing a relay node, we consider the problem of minimizing average delay subject to a constraint on the average progress. By constraint relaxation, involving a Lagrange multiplier, we formulate this next hop relay selection problem as a Markov decision process (MDP). The exact optimal solution (BF (Best Forward)) can be found, but is computationally intensive. Next, we consider a mathematically simplified model for which the optimal policy (SF (Simplified Forward)) turns out to be a simple one-step-look-ahead rule. Simulations show that SF is very close in performance to BF, even for reasonably small node density. We then study the end-to-end performance of SF in comparison with two extremal policies: Max Forward (MF), which makes the maximum possible progress per hop and thus reduces network energy consumption, and First Forward (FF), which forwards the packet to the first node to wake up, and thus tends to make end-to-end forwarding delays small. We find that, with appropriate choice of one hop average progress constraint, SF can be tuned to provide a favorable trade-off between end-to-end packet delay and the number of hops in the forwarding path.


Architecture and Performance Models for QoS-Driven Effective Peering of Content Delivery Networks

Abstract: The proprietary nature of existing Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) means they are closed and do not naturally cooperate. A CDN is expected to provide high performance Internet content delivery through global coverage, which might be an obstacle for new CDN providers, as well as affecting commercial viability of existing ones. Finding ways for distinct CDNs to coordinate and cooperate with other CDNs is necessary to achieve better overall service, as perceived by end-users, at lower cost. In this paper, we present an architecture to support peering arrangements between CDNs, based on a Virtual Organization (VO) model. Our approach promotes peering among providers, while upholding user perceived performance. This is achieved through proper policy management of negotiated Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between peers. We also present a Quality of Service (QoS)-driven performance modeling approach for peering CDNs in order to predict the user perceived performance. We show that peering between CDNs upholds user perceived performance by satisfying the target QoS. The methodology presented in this paper provides CDNs a way to dynamically distribute user requests to other peers according to different request-redirection policies. The model-based approach helps an overloaded CDN to return to a normal state by offloading excess requests to the peers. It also assists in making concrete QoS guarantee for a CDN provider. Our approach endeavors to achieve scalability and resource sharing among CDNs through effective peering in a user transparent manner, thus evolving past the current landscape where non-cooperative and distinct CDNs exist.