Nuzzer: A Large-Scale Device-Free Passive Localization System for Wireless Environments

Abstract: The widespread usage of wireless local area networks and mobile devices has fostered the interest in localization systems for wireless environments. The majority of research in the context of wireless-based localization systems has focused on device-based active localization, in which a device is attached to tracked entities. Recently, device-free passive localization (DfP) has been proposed where the tracked entity is neither required to carry devices nor participate actively in the localization process. DfP systems are based on the fact that RF signals are affected by the presence of people and objects in the environment. The DfP concept enables a wide range of applications including intrusion detection and tracking, border protection, and smart buildings automation. Previous studies have focused on small areas with direct line of sight and/or controlled environments. In this paper, we present the design, implementation and analysis of Nuzzer, a large-scale device-free passive localization system for real environments. Without any additional hardware, it makes use of the already installed wireless data networks to monitor and process changes in the received signal strength (RSS) transmitted from access points at one or more monitoring points. We present probabilistic techniques for DfP localization and evaluate their performance in a typical office building, rich in multipath, with an area of 1500 square meters. Our results show that the Nuzzer system gives device-free location estimates with less than 2 meters median distance error using only two monitoring laptops and three access points. This indicates the suitability of Nuzzer to a large number of application domains.


Evaluation of Coordination Techniques in Synchronous Collaborative Information Retrieval

Abstract: Traditional Information Retrieval (IR) research has focussed on a single user interaction modality, where a user searches to satisfy an information need. Recent advances in web technologies and computer hardware have enabled multiple users to collaborate on many computer-supported tasks, therefore there is an increasing opportunity to support two or more users searching together at the same time in order to satisfy a shared information need, which we refer to as Synchronous Collaborative Information Retrieval (SCIR). SCIR systems represent a significant paradigmatic shift from traditional IR systems. In order to support effective SCIR, new techniques are required to coordinate users' activities. In addition, the novel domain of SCIR presents challenges for effective evaluations of these systems. In this paper we will propose an effective and re-usable evaluation methodology based on simulating users searching together. We will outline how we have used this evaluation in empirical studies of the effects of different division of labour and sharing of knowledge techniques for SCIR.


Collaborative Search Trails for Video Search

Abstract: In this paper we present an approach for supporting users in the difficult task of searching for video. We use collaborative feedback mined from the interactions of earlier users of a video search system to help users in their current search tasks. Our objective is to improve the quality of the results that users find, and in doing so also assist users to explore a large and complex information space. It is hoped that this will lead to them considering search options that they may not have considered otherwise. We performed a user centred evaluation. The results of our evaluation indicate that we achieved our goals, the performance of the users in finding relevant video clips was enhanced with our system; users were able to explore the collection of video clips more and users demonstrated a preference for our system that provided recommendations.


Automated Spreadsheet Development

Abstract: Few major commercial or economic decisions are made today which are not underpinned by analysis using spreadsheets. It is virtually impossible to avoid making mistakes during their drafting and some of these errors remain, unseen and uncorrected, until something turns the spotlight on them. By then it may be too late. The challenge is to find a way of creating spreadsheets which will preserve the benefit of their power and flexibility while making their creation more transparent and safer. Full documentation and documented version and quality control, section by section, of the eventual spreadsheet would be a bonus. And if the whole process could be made quicker, too, that would be a further bonus.


Some Spreadsheet Poka-Yoke

Abstract: Whilst not all spreadsheet defects are structural in nature, poor layout choices can compromise spreadsheet quality. These defects may be avoided at the development stage by some simple mistake prevention and detection devices. Poka-Yoke (Japanese for Mistake Proofing), which owes its genesis to the Toyota Production System (the standard for manufacturing excellence throughout the world) offers some principles that may be applied to reducing spreadsheet defects. In this paper we examine spreadsheet structure and how it can lead to defects and illustrate some basic spreadsheet Poka-Yokes to reduce them. These include guidelines on how to arrange areas of cells so that whole rows and columns can be inserted anywhere without causing errors, and rules for when to use relative and absolute references with respect to what type of area is being referred to.


The Medical Algorithms Project

Abstract: The Medical Algorithms Project, a web-based resource located at www.medal.org, is the world's largest collection of medical-related spreadsheets, consisting of over 13,500 Excel spreadsheets each encoding a medical algorithm from 45 different areas of medical practice. This free resource is in use worldwide with over 106,000 registered users as of March 1, 2009.


An Exploratory Analysis of the Impact of Named Ranges on the Debugging Performance of Novice Users

Abstract: This paper describes an exploratory empirical study of the effect of named ranges on spreadsheet debugging performance. Named ranges are advocated in both academia and industry, yet no experimental evidence has been cited to back up these recommendations. This paper describes an exploratory experiment involving 21 participants that assesses the performance of novices debugging a spreadsheet containing named ranges. The results are compared with the performance of a different set of novices debugging the same spreadsheet without named ranges. The findings suggest that novice users debug on average significantly fewer errors if the spreadsheet contains named ranges. The purpose of the investigative study is to derive a detailed and coherent set of research questions regarding the impact of range names on the debugging performance and behaviour of spreadsheet users. These will be answered through future controlled experiments.


Clustering for Improved Learning in Maze Traversal Problem

Abstract: The maze traversal problem (finding the shortest distance to the goal from any position in a maze) has been an interesting challenge in computational intelligence. Recent work has shown that the cellular simultaneous recurrent neural network (CSRN) can solve this problem for simple mazes. This thesis focuses on exploiting relevant information about the maze to improve learning and decrease the training time for the CSRN to solve mazes. Appropriate variables are identified to create useful clusters using relevant information. The CSRN was next modified to allow for an additional external input. With this additional input, several methods were tested and results show that clustering the mazes improves the overall learning of the traversal problem for the CSRN.


Approximating the Statistics of various Properties in Randomly Weighted Graphs

Abstract: Consider the setting of \emph{randomly weighted graphs}, namely, graphs whose edge weights are chosen independently according to probability distributions with finite support over the non-negative reals. Under this setting, properties of weighted graphs typically become random variables and we are interested in computing their statistical features. Unfortunately, this turns out to be computationally hard for some properties albeit the problem of computing them in the traditional setting of algorithmic graph theory is tractable. For example, there are well known efficient algorithms that compute the \emph{diameter} of a given weighted graph, yet, computing the \emph{expected} diameter of a given randomly weighted graph is \SharpP{}-hard even if the edge weights are identically distributed. In this paper, we define a family of properties of weighted graphs and show that for each property in this family, the problem of computing the \emph{$k^{\text{th}}$ moment} (and in particular, the expected value) of the corresponding random variable in a given randomly weighted graph $G$ admits a \emph{fully polynomial time randomized approximation scheme (FPRAS)} for every fixed $k$. This family includes fundamental properties of weighted graphs such as the diameter of $G$, the \emph{radius} of $G$ (with respect to any designated vertex) and the weight of a \emph{minimum spanning tree} of $G$.


Authentication Without Identification using Anonymous Credential System

Abstract: Privacy and security are often intertwined. For example, identity theft is rampant because we have become accustomed to authentication by identification. To obtain some service, we provide enough information about our identity for an unscrupulous person to steal it (for example, we give our credit card number to Amazon.com). One of the consequences is that many people avoid e-commerce entirely due to privacy and security concerns. The solution is to perform authentication without identification. In fact, all on-line actions should be as anonymous as possible, for this is the only way to guarantee security for the overall system. A credential system is a system in which users can obtain credentials from organizations and demonstrate possession of these credentials. Such a system is anonymous when transactions carried out by the same user cannot be linked. An anonymous credential system is of significant practical relevance because it is the best means of providing privacy for users.


Deterministic Formulization of SNR for Wireless Multiuser DS-CDMA Networks

Abstract: Wireless Multiuser receivers suffer from their relatively higher computational complexity that prevents widespread use of this technique. In addition, one of the main characteristics of multi-channel communications that can severely degrade the performance is the inconsistent and low values of SNR that result in high BER and poor channel capacity. It has been shown that the computational complexity of a multiuser receiver can be reduced by using the transformation matrix (TM) algorithm [4]. In this paper, we provide quantification of SNR based on the computational complexity of TM algorithm. We show that the reduction of complexity results high and consistent values of SNR that can consequently be used to achieve a desirable BER performance. In addition, our simulation results suggest that the high and consistent values of SNR can be achieved for a desirable BER performance. The performance measure adopted in this paper is the consistent values of SNR.


A New Scheme for Minimizing Malicious Behavior of Mobile Nodes in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract: The performance of Mobile Ad hoc networks (MANET) depends on the cooperation of all active nodes. However, supporting a MANET is a cost-intensive activity for a mobile node. From a single mobile node perspective, the detection of routes as well as forwarding packets consume local CPU time, memory, network-bandwidth, and last but not least energy. We believe that this is one of the main factors that strongly motivate a mobile node to deny packet forwarding for others, while at the same time use their services to deliver its own data. This behavior of an independent mobile node is commonly known as misbehaving or selfishness. A vast amount of research has already been done for minimizing malicious behavior of mobile nodes. However, most of them focused on the methods/techniques/algorithms to remove such nodes from the MANET. We believe that the frequent elimination of such miss-behaving nodes never allowed a free and faster growth of MANET. This paper provides a critical analysis of the recent research wok and its impact on the overall performance of a MANET. In this paper, we clarify some of the misconceptions in the understating of selfishness and miss-behavior of nodes. Moreover, we propose a mathematical model that based on the time division technique to minimize the malicious behavior of mobile nodes by avoiding unnecessary elimination of bad nodes. Our proposed approach not only improves the resource sharing but also creates a consistent trust and cooperation (CTC) environment among the mobile nodes. The simulation results demonstrate the success of the proposed approach that significantly minimizes the malicious nodes and consequently maximizes the overall throughput of MANET than other well known schemes.


A multidimensional approach for context-aware recommendation in mobile commerce

Abstract: Context as the dynamic information describing the situation of items and users and affecting the users decision process is essential to be used by recommender systems in mobile commerce to guarantee the quality of recommendation. This paper proposes a novel multidimensional approach for context aware recommendation in mobile commerce. The approach represents users, items, context information and the relationship between them in a multidimensional space. It then determines the usage patterns of each user under different contextual situations and creates a new 2 dimensional recommendation space and does the final recommendation in that space. This paper also represents an evaluation process by implementing the proposed approach in a restaurant food recommendation system considering day, time, weather and companion as the contextual information and comparing the approach with the traditional 2 dimensional one. The results of comparison illustrates that the multidimensional approach increases the recommendation quality.


An Application of Bayesian classification to Interval Encoded Temporal mining with prioritized items

Abstract: In real life, media information has time attributes either implicitly or explicitly known as temporal data. This paper investigates the usefulness of applying Bayesian classification to an interval encoded temporal database with prioritized items. The proposed method performs temporal mining by encoding the database with weighted items which prioritizes the items according to their importance from the user perspective. Naive Bayesian classification helps in making the resulting temporal rules more effective. The proposed priority based temporal mining (PBTM) method added with classification aids in solving problems in a well informed and systematic manner. The experimental results are obtained from the complaints database of the telecommunications system, which shows the feasibility of this method of classification based temporal mining.


Ethernet Networks: Current Trends and Tools

Abstract: Ethernet topology discovery has gained increasing interest in the recent years. This trend is motivated mostly by increasing number of carrier Ethernet networks as well as the size of these networks, and consequently the increasing sales of these networks. To manage these networks efficiently, detailed and accurate knowledge of their topology is needed. Knowledge of a network's entities and the physical connections between them can be useful in various prospective. Administrators can use topology information for network planning and fault detecting. Topology information can also be used during protocol and routing algorithm development, for performance prediction and as a basis for accurate network simulations. From a network security perspective, threat detection, network monitoring, network access control and forensic investigations can benefit from accurate network topology information. In this paper, we analyze market trends and investigate current tools available for both research and commercial purposes.


A Secure Multi-Party Computation Protocol for Malicious Computation Prevention for preserving privacy during Data Mining

Abstract: Secure Multi-Party Computation (SMC) allows parties with similar background to compute results upon their private data, minimizing the threat of disclosure. The exponential increase in sensitive data that needs to be passed upon networked computers and the stupendous growth of internet has precipitated vast opportunities for cooperative computation, where parties come together to facilitate computations and draw out conclusions that are mutually beneficial; at the same time aspiring to keep their private data secure. These computations are generally required to be done between competitors, who are obviously weary of each-others intentions. SMC caters not only to the needs of such parties but also provides plausible solutions to individual organizations for problems like privacy-preserving database query, privacy-preserving scientific computations, privacy-preserving intrusion detection and privacy-preserving data mining. This paper is an extension to a previously proposed protocol Encrytpo_Random, which presented a plain sailing yet effective approach to SMC and also put forward an aptly crafted architecture, whereby such an efficient protocol, involving the parties that have come forward for joint-computations and the third party who undertakes such computations, can be developed. Through this extended work an attempt has been made to further strengthen the existing protocol thus paving the way for a more secure multi-party computational process.


Topological design of minimum cost survivable computer communication networks, Bipartite Graph Method

Abstract: A good computer network is hard to disrupt. It is desired that the computer communication network remains connected even when some of the links or nodes fail. Since the communication links are expensive, one wants to achieve these goals with fewer links. The computer communication network is fault tolerant if it has alternative paths between vertices, the more disjoint paths, the better is the survivability. This paper presents a method for generating k-connected computer communication network with optimal number of links using bipartite graph concept.


Recent Applications of Optical Parametric Amplifiers in Hybrid WDM TDM Local Area Optical Networks

Abstract: In the present paper, the recent applications of optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) in hybrid wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)/time division multiplexing (TDM) local area passive optical networks have been modeled and parametrically investigated over wide range of the affecting parameters. Moreover, we have analyzed the ability of the hybrid WDM/TDM Passive optical networks to handle a triple play solution, offering voice, video, and data services to the multiple users. Finally, we have investigated the maximum time division multiplexing (MTDM) bit rates for optical network units (ONUs) for maximum number of supported users with optical parametric amplifier technique across the single mode fiber (SMF) or highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF) cables to achieve both maximum network reach and quality of service (QOS).


Transmission Performance Analysis of Digital Wire and Wireless Optical Links in Local and Wide Areas Optical Networks

Abstract: In the present paper, the transmission performance analysis of digital wire and wireless optical links in local and wide areas optical networks have been modeled and parametrically investigated over wide range of the affecting parameters. Moreover, we have analyzed the basic equations of the comparative study of the performance of digital fiber optic links with wire and wireless optical links. The development of optical wireless communication systems is accelerating as a high cost effective to wire fiber optic links. The optical wireless technology is used mostly in wide bandwidth data transmission applications. Finally, we have investigated the maximum transmission distance and data transmission bit rates that can be achieved within digital wire and wireless optical links for local and wide areas optical network applications.


Vulnerability analysis of three remote voting methods

Abstract: This article analyses three methods of remote voting in an uncontrolled environment: postal voting, internet voting and hybrid voting. It breaks down the voting process into different stages and compares their vulnerabilities considering criteria that must be respected in any democratic vote: confidentiality, anonymity, transparency, vote unicity and authenticity. Whether for safety or reliability, each vulnerability is quantified by three parameters: size, visibility and difficulty to achieve. The study concludes that the automatisation of treatments combined with the dematerialisation of the objects used during an election tends to substitute visible vulnerabilities of a lesser magnitude by invisible and widespread vulnerabilities.


Multi-Agent Model Predictive Control: A Survey

Abstract: In this report we define characteristic control design elements and show how conventional single-agent MPC implements these. We survey recent literature on multi-agent MPC and discuss how this literature deals with decomposition, problem assignment, and cooperation.


Study of Proposed Methods for Improving TCP Performance Over Wireless Links

Abstract: TCP is designed for networks with assumption that major losses occur only due to congestion of network traffic. On a wireless network TCP misinterprets the transmission losses due to bit errors and handoffs as losses caused by congestion, and triggers congestion control mechanisms. Because of its end to end delivery model, congestion handling and avoidance mechanisms, TCP has been widely accepted as Transport layer protocol for internetworks. Extension of Internetworks over wireless links is inevitable with the spread of ubiquitous computing and mobile communications. This paper presents study of different mechanisms proposed to extend Transport Control Protocol and other alternate solutions to enhance end to end performance over lossy wireless links. The paper studies details of different design choices proposed and their technical advantages and disadvantages. Finally, an analysis and proposal for best choice of proposed schemes are made for wireless networks.


On the Running Time of the Shortest Programs

Abstract: The Kolmogorov complexity of the word w is equal to the length of the shortest concatenation of program Z and its input x with which the word w is computed by the universal turing machine U. The question introduced in this paper is the following: How long do the shortest programs run for?


2-Player Nash and Nonsymmetric Bargaining Games: Algorithms and Structural Properties

Abstract: The solution to a Nash or a nonsymmetric bargaining game is obtained by maximizing a concave function over a convex set, i.e., it is the solution to a convex program. We show that each 2-player game whose convex program has linear constraints, admits a rational solution and such a solution can be found in polynomial time using only an LP solver. If in addition, the game is succinct, i.e., the coefficients in its convex program are ``small'', then its solution can be found in strongly polynomial time. We also give a non-succinct linear game whose solution can be found in strongly polynomial time.


Side-channel attack on labeling CAPTCHAs

Abstract: We propose a new scheme of attack on the Microsoft's ASIRRA CAPTCHA which represents a significant shortcut to the intended attacking path, as it is not based in any advance in the state of the art on the field of image recognition. After studying the ASIRRA Public Corpus, we conclude that the security margin as stated by their authors seems to be quite optimistic. Then, we analyze which of the studied parameters for the image files seems to disclose the most valuable information for helping in correct classification, arriving at a surprising discovery. This represents a completely new approach to breaking CAPTCHAs that can be applied to many of the currently proposed image-labeling algorithms, and to prove this point we show how to use the very same approach against the HumanAuth CAPTCHA. Lastly, we investigate some measures that could be used to secure the ASIRRA and HumanAuth schemes, but conclude no easy solutions are at hand.


Checks and Controls in Spreadsheets

Abstract: Spreadsheets that are informally created are harder to test than they should be. Simple cross-foot checks or being easily readable are modest but attainable goals for every spreadsheet developer. This paper lists some tips on building self-checking into a spreadsheet in order to provide more confidence to the reader that a spreadsheet is robust.


Documenting Spreadsheets with Pseudo-Code: an Exercise with Cash-Flow and Loans

Abstract: "Look before you leap"; "a stitch in time saves nine"; "more haste, less speed". Many proverbs declare the wisdom of planning before doing. We suggest how to apply this to Excel, by explaining and specifying spreadsheets before coding them, so there will always be documentation for auditors and maintenance programmers. The specification method uses "pseudo-code": code that, for precision and conciseness, resembles a programming language, but is not executable. It is, however, based on the notation used by our Excelsior spreadsheet generator, which is executable. This paper is structured as a tutorial, in which we develop a simple cash-flow and loans spreadsheet.


The Lookup Technique to Replace Nested-IF Formulas in Spreadsheet Programming

Abstract: Spreadsheet programmers often implement contingent logic using a nested-IF formula even though this technique is difficult to test and audit and is believed to be risky. We interpret the programming of contingent logic in spreadsheets in the context of traditional computer programming. We investigate the "lookup technique" as an alternative to nested-IF formulas, describe its benefits for testing and auditing, and define its limitations. The lookup technique employs four distinct principles: 1) make logical tests visible; 2) make outcomes visible; 3) make logical structure visible; and 4) replace a multi-function nested-IF formula with a single-function lookup formula. It can be used only for certain simple contingent logic. We describe how the principles can be applied in more complex situations, and suggest avenues for further research.


Milestones for Teaching the Spreadsheet Program

Abstract: There are different manners of teaching a spreadsheet program. In any case, it is intended that the teacher settles the objectives of the course and adapts them to the particular audience he/she has to deal with. This paper aims at providing any teacher whatever his/her specific objectives and his/her audience with elements to help him/her building a course. It focuses mainly on two important issues: 1 - select in all that may be said about such complex tools, what is prior to know and to teach, i.e. what leads to autonomy in using but also to autonomy in learning (because everything cannot be taught) and 2 - show how concepts are closely related to good formatting considerations. A method based on the "invariants of information processing" is outlined, partially illustrated and an implementation is described throughout a course designed for students preparing a master in Education Sciences.


Error Estimation in Large Spreadsheets using Bayesian Statistics

Abstract: Spreadsheets are ubiquitous in business with the financial sector particularly heavily reliant on the technology. It is known that the level of spreadsheet error can be high and that it is often necessary to review spreadsheets based on a structured methodology which includes a cell by cell examination of the spreadsheet. This paper outlines the early research that has been carried out into the use of Bayesian Statistical methods to estimate the level of error in large spreadsheets during cell be cell examination based on expert knowledge and partial spreadsheet test data. The estimate can aid in the decision as to the quality of the spreadsheet and the necessity to conduct further testing or not.


Embedded Spreadsheet Modelling

Abstract: In larger accounting firms, specialist modellers typically sit in separate teams. This paper will look at the advantages of embedding a specialist modeller within a Corporate Finance Team.


Documenting Problem-Solving Knowledge: Proposed Annotation Design Guidelines and their Application to Spreadsheet Tools

Abstract: End-user programmers create software to solve problems, yet the problem-solving knowledge generated in the process often remains tacit within the software artifact. One approach to exposing this knowledge is to enable the end-user to annotate the artifact as they create and use it. A 3-level model of annotation is presented and guidelines are proposed for the design of end-user programming environments supporting the explicit and literate annotation levels. These guidelines are then applied to the spreadsheet end-user programming paradigm.


NLP-SIR: A Natural Language Approach for Spreadsheet Information Retrieval

Abstract: Spreadsheets are a ubiquitous software tool, used for a wide variety of tasks such as financial modelling, statistical analysis and inventory management. Extracting meaningful information from such data can be a difficult task, especially for novice users unfamiliar with the advanced data processing features of many spreadsheet applications. We believe that through the use of Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques this task can be made considerably easier. This paper introduces NLP-SIR, a Natural language interface for spreadsheet information retrieval. The results of a recent evaluation which compared NLP-SIR with existing Information retrieval tools are also outlined. This evaluation has shown that NLP-SIR is a more effective method of spreadsheet information retrieval.


A new approach to services differentiation between mobile terminals of a wireless LAN

Abstract: This study aims to identify the advantages and disadvantages of several mechanisms for service differentiation in mobile terminals of a wireless LAN to establish a more better and more optimal. At the end of the analysis of available approaches for the quality of service of the IEEE 802.11 standard, the objective of this paper is to suggest a new method named DF-DCF Differentiated Frame DCF. The performance of the suggested method in a Network Simulator (NS) environment allowed its validation through a set of testing and simulation scenarios. Simulation results have shown that the DF-DCF method is better suited for mobile nodes in a wireless communication network.


Segmentation for radar images based on active contour

Abstract: We exam various geometric active contour methods for radar image segmentation. Due to special properties of radar images, we propose our new model based on modified Chan-Vese functional. Our method is efficient in separating non-meteorological noises from meteorological images.


Breaking the Multicommodity Flow Barrier for sqrt(log(n))-Approximations to Sparsest Cut

Abstract: This paper ties the line of work on algorithms that find an O(sqrt(log(n)))-approximation to the sparsest cut together with the line of work on algorithms that run in sub-quadratic time by using only single-commodity flows. We present an algorithm that simultaneously achieves both goals, finding an O(sqrt(log(n)/eps))-approximation using O(n^eps log^O(1) n) max-flows. The core of the algorithm is a stronger, algorithmic version of Arora et al.'s structure theorem, where we show that matching-chaining argument at the heart of their proof can be viewed as an algorithm that finds good augmenting paths in certain geometric multicommodity flow networks. By using that specialized algorithm in place of a black-box solver, we are able to solve those instances much more efficiently. We also show the cut-matching game framework can not achieve an approximation any better than Omega(log(n)/log log(n)) without re-routing flow.


Nominal Abstraction

Abstract: Recursive relational specifications are commonly used to describe the computational structure of formal systems. Recent research in proof theory has identified two features that facilitate direct, logic-based reasoning about such descriptions: the interpretation of atomic judgments through recursive definitions and an encoding of binding constructs via generic judgments. However, logics encompassing these two features do not currently allow for the definition of relations that embody dynamic aspects related to binding, a capability needed in many reasoning tasks. We propose a new relation between terms called nominal abstraction as a means for overcoming this deficiency. We incorporate nominal abstraction into a rich logic also including definitions, generic quantification, induction, and co-induction that we then prove to be consistent. We present examples to show that this logic can provide elegant treatments of binding contexts that appear in many proofs, such as those establishing properties of typing calculi and of arbitrarily cascading substitutions that play a role in reducibility arguments.


Matrix P-norms are NP-hard to approximate if p \neq 1,2,\infty

Abstract: We show that for any rational p \in [1,\infty) except p = 1, 2, unless P = NP, there is no polynomial-time algorithm for approximating the matrix p-norm to arbitrary relative precision. We also show that for any rational p\in [1,\infty) including p = 1, 2, unless P = NP, there is no polynomial-time algorithm approximates the \infty, p mixed norm to some fixed relative precision.


Faster generation of random spanning trees

Abstract: In this paper, we set forth a new algorithm for generating approximately uniformly random spanning trees in undirected graphs. We show how to sample from a distribution that is within a multiplicative $(1+\delta)$ of uniform in expected time $\TO(m\sqrt{n}\log 1/\delta)$. This improves the sparse graph case of the best previously known worst-case bound of $O(\min \{mn, n^{2.376}\})$, which has stood for twenty years. To achieve this goal, we exploit the connection between random walks on graphs and electrical networks, and we use this to introduce a new approach to the problem that integrates discrete random walk-based techniques with continuous linear algebraic methods. We believe that our use of electrical networks and sparse linear system solvers in conjunction with random walks and combinatorial partitioning techniques is a useful paradigm that will find further applications in algorithmic graph theory.


Training Process Reduction Based On Potential Weights Linear Analysis To Accelarate Back Propagation Network

Abstract: Learning is the important property of Back Propagation Network (BPN) and finding the suitable weights and thresholds during training in order to improve training time as well as achieve high accuracy. Currently, data pre-processing such as dimension reduction input values and pre-training are the contributing factors in developing efficient techniques for reducing training time with high accuracy and initialization of the weights is the important issue which is random and creates paradox, and leads to low accuracy with high training time. One good data preprocessing technique for accelerating BPN classification is dimension reduction technique but it has problem of missing data. In this paper, we study current pre-training techniques and new preprocessing technique called Potential Weight Linear Analysis (PWLA) which combines normalization, dimension reduction input values and pre-training. In PWLA, the first data preprocessing is performed for generating normalized input values and then applying them by pre-training technique in order to obtain the potential weights. After these phases, dimension of input values matrix will be reduced by using real potential weights. For experiment results XOR problem and three datasets, which are SPECT Heart, SPECTF Heart and Liver disorders (BUPA) will be evaluated. Our results, however, will show that the new technique of PWLA will change BPN to new Supervised Multi Layer Feed Forward Neural Network (SMFFNN) model with high accuracy in one epoch without training cycle. Also PWLA will be able to have power of non linear supervised and unsupervised dimension reduction property for applying by other supervised multi layer feed forward neural network model in future work.


Distance priority based multicast routing in WDM networks considering sparse light splitting

Abstract: As we know, the member-only algorithm in provides the best links stress and wavelength usage for the construction of multicast light-trees in WDM networks with sparse splitting. However, the diameter of tree is too big and the average delay is also too large, which are intolerant for QoS required multimedia applications. In this paper, a distance priority based algorithm is proposed to build light-trees for multicast routing, where the Candidate Destinations and the Candidate Connectors are introduced. Simulations show the proposed algorithm is able to greatly reduce the diameter and average delay of the multicast tree (up to 51% and 50% respectively), while keep the same or get a slightly better link stress as well as the wavelength usage than the famous Member-Only algorithm.


Contraction of Timetable Networks with Realistic Transfers

Abstract: We successfully contract timetable networks with realistic transfer times. Contraction gradually removes nodes from the graph and adds shortcuts to preserve shortest paths. This reduces query times to 1 ms with preprocessing times around 6 minutes on all tested instances. We achieve this by an improved contraction algorithm and by using a station graph model. Every node in our graph has a one-to-one correspondence to a station and every edge has an assigned collection of connections. Our graph model does not need parallel edges. The query algorithm does not compute a single earliest arrival time at a station but a set of arriving connections that allow best transfer opportunities.


From error detection to behaviour observation: first results from screen capture analysis

Abstract: This paper deals with errors in using spreadsheets and analysis of automatic recording of user interaction with spreadsheets. After a review of literature devoted to spreadsheet errors, we advocate the importance of going from error detection to interaction behaviour analysis. We explain how we analyze screen captures and give the main results we have obtained using this specific methodology with secondary school students (N=24). Transcription provides general characteristics: time, sequence of performed tasks, unsuccessful attempts and user preferences. Analysis reveals preferred modes of actions (toolbar buttons or menu commands), ways of writing formulas, and typical approaches in searching for solutions. Time, rhythm and density appear to be promising indicators. We think such an approach (to analyze screen captures) could be used with more advanced spreadsheet users.


Reducing the Risk of Spreadsheet Usage - a Case Study

Abstract: The frequency with which spreadsheets are used and the associated risk is well known. Many tools and techniques have been developed which help reduce risks associate with creating and maintaining spreadsheet. However, little consideration has been given to reducing the risks of routine usage by the "consumers" - for example when entering and editing data. EASA's solution, available commercially, ensures that any routine process involving spreadsheets can be executed rapidly and without errors by the end-users, often with a significant reduction in manual effort. Specifically, the technology enables the rapid creation and deployment of web-based applications, connected to one or more centralized spreadsheets; this ensures version control, easy and error free usage, and security of intellectual property contained in spreadsheets.


A quantum diffusion network

Abstract: Wong's diffusion network is a stochastic, zero-input Hopfield network with a Gibbs stationary distribution over a bounded, connected continuum. Previously, logarithmic thermal annealing was demonstrated for the diffusion network and digital versions of it were studied and applied to imaging. Recently, "quantum" annealed Markov chains have garnered significant attention because of their improved performance over "pure" thermal annealing. In this note, a joint quantum and thermal version of Wong's diffusion network is described and its convergence properties are studied. Different choices for "auxiliary" functions are discussed, including those of the kinetic type previously associated with quantum annealing.


Planar Drawings of Higher-Genus Graphs

Abstract: In this paper, we give polynomial-time algorithms that can take a graph G with a given combinatorial embedding on an orientable surface S of genus g and produce a planar drawing of G in R^2, with a bounding face defined by a polygonal schema P for S. Our drawings are planar, but they allow for multiple copies of vertices and edges on P's boundary, which is a common way of visualizing higher-genus graphs in the plane. Our drawings can be defined with respect to either a canonical polygonal schema or a polygonal cutset schema, which provides an interesting tradeoff, since canonical schemas have fewer sides, and have a nice topological structure, but they can have many more repeated vertices and edges than general polygonal cutsets. As a side note, we show that it is NP-complete to determine whether a given graph embedded in a genus-g surface has a set of 2g fundamental cycles with vertex-disjoint interiors, which would be desirable from a graph-drawing perspective.


Linearly Coupled Communication Games

Abstract: This paper discusses a special type of multi-user communication scenario, in which users' utilities are linearly impacted by their competitors' actions. First, we explicitly characterize the Nash equilibrium and Pareto boundary of the achievable utility region. Second, the price of anarchy incurred by the non-collaborative Nash strategy is quantified. Third, to improve the performance in the non-cooperative scenarios, we investigate the properties of an alternative solution concept named conjectural equilibrium, in which individual users compensate for their lack of information by forming internal beliefs about their competitors. The global convergence of the best response and Jacobi update dynamics that achieve various conjectural equilibria are analyzed. It is shown that the Pareto boundaries of the investigated linearly coupled games can be sustained as stable conjectural equilibria if the belief functions are properly initialized. The investigated models apply to a variety of realistic applications encountered in the multiple access design, including wireless random access and flow control.


On the Base Station Selection and Base Station Sharing in Self-Configuring Networks

Abstract: We model the interaction of several radio devices aiming to obtain wireless connectivity by using a set of base stations (BS) as a non-cooperative game. Each radio device aims to maximize its own spectral efficiency (SE) in two different scenarios: First, we let each player to use a unique BS (BS selection) and second, we let them to simultaneously use several BSs (BS Sharing). In both cases, we show that the resulting game is an exact potential game. We found that the BS selection game posses multiple Nash equilibria (NE) while the BS sharing game posses a unique one. We provide fully decentralized algorithms which always converge to a NE in both games. We analyze the price of anarchy and the price of stability for the case of BS selection. Finally, we observed that depending on the number of transmitters, the BS selection technique might provide a better global performance (network spectral efficiency) than BS sharing, which suggests the existence of a Braess type paradox.


Separation of Circulating Tokens

Abstract: Self-stabilizing distributed control is often modeled by token abstractions. A system with a single token may implement mutual exclusion; a system with multiple tokens may ensure that immediate neighbors do not simultaneously enjoy a privilege. For a cyber-physical system, tokens may represent physical objects whose movement is controlled. The problem studied in this paper is to ensure that a synchronous system with m circulating tokens has at least d distance between tokens. This problem is first considered in a ring where d is given whilst m and the ring size n are unknown. The protocol solving this problem can be uniform, with all processes running the same program, or it can be non-uniform, with some processes acting only as token relays. The protocol for this first problem is simple, and can be expressed with Petri net formalism. A second problem is to maximize d when m is given, and n is unknown. For the second problem, the paper presents a non-uniform protocol with a single corrective process.


Towards a Theory of Anonymous Networking

Abstract: The problem of anonymous networking when an eavesdropper observes packet timings in a communication network is considered. The goal is to hide the identities of source-destination nodes, and paths of information flow in the network. One way to achieve such an anonymity is to use mixers. Mixers are nodes that receive packets from multiple sources and change the timing of packets, by mixing packets at the output links, to prevent the eavesdropper from finding sources of outgoing packets. In this paper, we consider two simple but fundamental scenarios: double input-single output mixer and double input-double output mixer. For the first case, we use the information-theoretic definition of the anonymity, based on average entropy per packet, and find an optimal mixing strategy under a strict latency constraint. For the second case, perfect anonymity is considered, and maximal throughput strategies with perfect anonymity are found under a strict latency constraint and an average queue length constraint.


A dyadic solution of relative pose problems

Abstract: A hierarchical interval subdivision is shown to lead to a $p$-adic encoding of image data. This allows in the case of the relative pose problem in computer vision and photogrammetry to derive equations having 2-adic numbers as coefficients, and to use Hensel's lifting method to their solution. This method is applied to the linear and non-linear equations coming from eight, seven or five point correspondences. An inherent property of the method is its robustness.


On P vs. NP, Geometric Complexity Theory, Explicit Proofs and the Complexity Barrier

Abstract: Geometric complexity theory (GCT) is an approach to the P vs. NP and related problems. This article gives its complexity theoretic overview without assuming any background in algebraic geometry or representation theory.


On P vs. NP, Geometric Complexity Theory, and the Riemann Hypothesis

Abstract: Geometric complexity theory (GCT) is an approach to the $P$ vs. $NP$ and related problems. A high level overview of this research plan and the results obtained so far was presented in a series of three lectures in the Institute of Advanced study, Princeton, Feb 9-11, 2009. This article contains the material covered in those lectures after some revision, and gives a mathematical overview of GCT. No background in algebraic geometry, representation theory or quantum groups is assumed.


Predictive Blacklisting as an Implicit Recommendation System

Abstract: A widely used defense practice against malicious traffic on the Internet is through blacklists: lists of prolific attack sources are compiled and shared. The goal of blacklists is to predict and block future attack sources. Existing blacklisting techniques have focused on the most prolific attack sources and, more recently, on collaborative blacklisting. In this paper, we formulate the problem of forecasting attack sources (also referred to as predictive blacklisting) based on shared attack logs as an implicit recommendation system. We compare the performance of existing approaches against the upper bound for prediction, and we demonstrate that there is much room for improvement. Inspired by the recent Netflix competition, we propose a multi-level prediction model that is adjusted and tuned specifically for the attack forecasting problem. Our model captures and combines various factors, namely: attacker-victim history (using time-series) and attackers and/or victims interactions (using neighborhood models). We evaluate our combined method on one month of logs from Dshield.org and demonstrate that it improves significantly the state-of-the-art.


Untangling the Web of E-Research: Towards a Sociology of Online Knowledge

Abstract: e-Research is a rapidly growing research area, both in terms of publications and in terms of funding. In this article we argue that it is necessary to reconceptualize the ways in which we seek to measure and understand e-Research by developing a sociology of knowledge based on our understanding of how science has been transformed historically and shifted into online forms. Next, we report data which allows the examination of e-Research through a variety of traces in order to begin to understand how the knowledge in the realm of e-Research has been and is being constructed. These data indicate that e-Research has had a variable impact in different fields of research. We argue that only an overall account of the scale and scope of e-Research within and between different fields makes it possible to identify the organizational coherence and diffuseness of e-Research in terms of its socio-technical networks, and thus to identify the contributions of e-Research to various research fronts in the online production of knowledge.


View-based Propagator Derivation

Abstract: When implementing a propagator for a constraint, one must decide about variants: When implementing min, should one also implement max? Should one implement linear constraints both with unit and non-unit coefficients? Constraint variants are ubiquitous: implementing them requires considerable (if not prohibitive) effort and decreases maintainability, but will deliver better performance than resorting to constraint decomposition. This paper shows how to use views to derive perfect propagator variants. A model for views and derived propagators is introduced. Derived propagators are proved to be indeed perfect in that they inherit essential properties such as correctness and domain and bounds consistency. Techniques for systematically deriving propagators such as transformation, generalization, specialization, and type conversion are developed. The paper introduces an implementation architecture for views that is independent of the underlying constraint programming system. A detailed evaluation of views implemented in Gecode shows that derived propagators are efficient and that views often incur no overhead. Without views, Gecode would either require 180 000 rather than 40 000 lines of propagator code, or would lack many efficient propagator variants. Compared to 8 000 lines of code for views, the reduction in code for propagators yields a 1750% return on investment.


Quotient complexity of ideal languages

Abstract: We study the state complexity of regular operations in the class of ideal languages. A language L over an alphabet Sigma is a right (left) ideal if it satisfies L = L Sigma* (L = Sigma* L). It is a two-sided ideal if L = Sigma* L Sigma *, and an all-sided ideal if it is the shuffle of Sigma* with L. We prefer the term "quotient complexity" instead of "state complexity", and we use derivatives to calculate upper bounds on quotient complexity, whenever it is convenient. We find tight upper bounds on the quotient complexity of each type of ideal language in terms of the complexity of an arbitrary generator and of its minimal generator, the complexity of the minimal generator, and also on the operations union, intersection, set difference, symmetric difference, concatenation, star and reversal of ideal languages.


Approximate Counting and Quantum Computation

Abstract: Motivated by the result that an `approximate' evaluation of the Jones polynomial of a braid at a $5^{th}$ root of unity can be used to simulate the quantum part of any algorithm in the quantum complexity class BQP, and results relating BQP to the counting class GapP, we introduce a form of additive approximation which can be used to simulate a function in BQP. We show that all functions in the classes #P and GapP have such an approximation scheme under certain natural normalisations. However we are unable to determine whether the particular functions we are motivated by, such as the above evaluation of the Jones polynomial, can be approximated in this way. We close with some open problems motivated by this work.


Transaction-Oriented Simulation In Ad Hoc Grids: Design and Experience

Abstract: In this paper we analyse the requirements of performing parallel transaction-oriented simulations within loosely coupled systems like ad hoc grids. We focus especially on the space-parallel approach to parallel simulation and on discrete event synchronisation algorithms that are suitable for transaction-oriented simulation and the target environment of ad hoc grids. To demonstrate our findings, a Java-based parallel simulator for the transaction-oriented language GPSS/H is implemented on the basis of the most promising shock-resistant Time Warp (SRTW) synchronisation algorithm and using the grid framework ProActive. The analysis of our parallel simulator, based on experiments using the Grid5000 platform, shows that the SRTW algorithm can successfully reduce the number of rolled back transaction moves but it also reveals circumstances in which the SRTW algorithm can be outperformed by the normal Time Warp algorithm. Finally, possible improvements to the SRTW algorithm are proposed in order to avoid such problems.


Two Algorithms for Network Size Estimation for Master/Slave Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract: This paper proposes an adaptation of two network size estimation methods: random tour and gossip-based aggregation to suit master/slave mobile ad hoc networks. We show that it is feasible to accurately estimate the size of ad hoc networks when topology changes due to mobility using both methods. The algorithms were modified to account for the specific constraints of master/slave ad hoc networks and the results show that the proposed modifications perform better on these networks than the original protocols. Each of the two algorithms presents strengths and weaknesses and these are outlined in this paper.


Acyclic Edge coloring of Planar Graphs

Abstract: An $acyclic$ edge coloring of a graph is a proper edge coloring such that there are no bichromatic cycles. The \emph{acyclic chromatic index} of a graph is the minimum number k such that there is an acyclic edge coloring using k colors and is denoted by $a'(G)$. It was conjectured by Alon, Sudakov and Zaks (and much earlier by Fiamcik) that $a'(G)\le \Delta+2$, where $\Delta =\Delta(G)$ denotes the maximum degree of the graph. We prove that if $G$ is a planar graph with maximum degree $\Delta$, then $a'(G)\le \Delta + 12$.


On k-Column Sparse Packing Programs

Abstract: We consider the class of packing integer programs (PIPs) that are column sparse, i.e. there is a specified upper bound k on the number of constraints that each variable appears in. We give an (ek+o(k))-approximation algorithm for k-column sparse PIPs, improving on recent results of $k^2\cdot 2^k$ and $O(k^2)$. We also show that the integrality gap of our linear programming relaxation is at least 2k-1; it is known that k-column sparse PIPs are $\Omega(k/ \log k)$-hard to approximate. We also extend our result (at the loss of a small constant factor) to the more general case of maximizing a submodular objective over k-column sparse packing constraints.


An Optimal Self-Stabilizing Firing Squad

Abstract: Consider a fully connected network where up to $t$ processes may crash, and all processes start in an arbitrary memory state. The self-stabilizing firing squad problem consists of eventually guaranteeing simultaneous response to an external input. This is modeled by requiring that the non-crashed processes "fire" simultaneously if some correct process received an external "GO" input, and that they only fire as a response to some process receiving such an input. This paper presents FireAlg, the first self-stabilizing firing squad algorithm. The FireAlg algorithm is optimal in two respects: (a) Once the algorithm is in a safe state, it fires in response to a GO input as fast as any other algorithm does, and (b) Starting from an arbitrary state, it converges to a safe state as fast as any other algorithm does.


Being Fat and Friendly is Not Enough

Abstract: We show that there is no $(1+\eps)$-approximation algorithm for the problem of covering points in the plane by minimum number of fat triangles of similar size (with the minimum angle of the triangles being close to 45 degrees). Here, the available triangles are prespecified in advance. Since a constant factor approximation algorithm is known for this problem \cite{cv-iaags-07}, this settles the approximability of this problem. We also investigate some related problems, including cover by friendly fat shapes, and independent set of triangles in three dimensions.


Distributed iterated elimination of strictly dominated strategies

Abstract: We characterize epistemic consequences of truthful communication among rational agents in a game-theoretic setting. To this end we introduce normal-form games equipped with an interaction structure, which specifies which groups of players can communicate their preferences with each other. We then focus on a specific form of interaction, namely a distributed form of iterated elimination of strictly dominated strategies (IESDS), driven by communication among the agents. We study the outcome of IESDS after some (possibly all) messages about players' preferences have been sent. The main result of the paper provides an epistemic justification of this form of IESDS.


MR-BART: Multi-Rate Available Bandwidth Estimation in Real-Time

Abstract: In this paper, we propose Multi-Rate Bandwidth Available in Real Time (MR-BART) to estimate the end-to-end Available Bandwidth (AB) of a network path. The proposed scheme is an extension of the Bandwidth Available in Real Time (BART) which employs multi-rate (MR) probe packet sequences with Kalman filtering. Comparing to BART, we show that the proposed method is more robust and converges faster than that of BART and achieves a more AB accurate estimation. Furthermore, we analyze the estimation error in MR-BART and obtain analytical formula and empirical expression for the AB estimation error based on the system parameters.


Reconfiguration of 3D Crystalline Robots Using O(log n) Parallel Moves

Abstract: We consider the theoretical model of Crystalline robots, which have been introduced and prototyped by the robotics community. These robots consist of independently manipulable unit-square atoms that can extend/contract arms on each side and attach/detach from neighbors. These operations suffice to reconfigure between any two given (connected) shapes. The worst-case number of sequential moves required to transform one connected configuration to another is known to be Theta(n). However, in principle, atoms can all move simultaneously. We develop a parallel algorithm for reconfiguration that runs in only O(log n) parallel steps, although the total number of operations increases slightly to Theta(nlogn). The result is the first (theoretically) almost-instantaneous universally reconfigurable robot built from simple units.


Detecting all regular polygons in a point set

Abstract: In this paper, we analyze the time complexity of finding regular polygons in a set of n points. We combine two different approaches to find regular polygons, depending on their number of edges. Our result depends on the parameter alpha, which has been used to bound the maximum number of isosceles triangles that can be formed by n points. This bound has been expressed as O(n^{2+2alpha+epsilon}), and the current best value for alpha is ~0.068. Our algorithm finds polygons with O(n^alpha) edges by sweeping a line through the set of points, while larger polygons are found by random sampling. We can find all regular polygons with high probability in O(n^{2+alpha+epsilon}) expected time for every positive epsilon. This compares well to the O(n^{2+2alpha+epsilon}) deterministic algorithm of Brass.


Hybrid Spam Filtering for Mobile Communication

Abstract: Spam messages are an increasing threat to mobile communication. Several mitigation techniques have been proposed, including white and black listing, challenge-response and content-based filtering. However, none are perfect and it makes sense to use a combination rather than just one. We propose an anti-spam framework based on the hybrid of content-based filtering and challenge-response. There is the trade-offs between accuracy of anti-spam classifiers and the communication overhead. Experimental results show how, depending on the proportion of spam messages, different filtering %%@ parameters should be set.


Concurrent Knowledge-Extraction in the Public-Key Model

Abstract: Knowledge extraction is a fundamental notion, modelling machine possession of values (witnesses) in a computational complexity sense. The notion provides an essential tool for cryptographic protocol design and analysis, enabling one to argue about the internal state of protocol players without ever looking at this supposedly secret state. However, when transactions are concurrent (e.g., over the Internet) with players possessing public-keys (as is common in cryptography), assuring that entities ``know'' what they claim to know, where adversaries may be well coordinated across different transactions, turns out to be much more subtle and in need of re-examination. Here, we investigate how to formally treat knowledge possession by parties (with registered public-keys) interacting over the Internet. Stated more technically, we look into the relative power of the notion of ``concurrent knowledge-extraction'' (CKE) in the concurrent zero-knowledge (CZK) bare public-key (BPK) model.


Minimum feature size preserving decompositions

Abstract: The minimum feature size of a crossing-free straight line drawing is the minimum distance between a vertex and a non-incident edge. This quantity measures the resolution needed to display a figure or the tool size needed to mill the figure. The spread is the ratio of the diameter to the minimum feature size. While many algorithms (particularly in meshing) depend on the spread of the input, none explicitly consider finding a mesh whose spread is similar to the input. When a polygon is partitioned into smaller regions, such as triangles or quadrangles, the degradation is the ratio of original to final spread (the final spread is always greater). Here we present an algorithm to quadrangulate a simple n-gon, while achieving constant degradation. Note that although all faces have a quadrangular shape, the number of edges bounding each face may be larger. This method uses Theta(n) Steiner points and produces Theta(n) quadrangles. In fact to obtain constant degradation, Omega(n) Steiner points are required by any algorithm. We also show that, for some polygons, a constant factor cannot be achieved by any triangulation, even with an unbounded number of Steiner points. The specific lower bounds depend on whether Steiner vertices are used or not.


A Differential Cryptanalysis of Yen-Chen-Wu Multimedia Cryptography System (MCS)

Abstract: At ISCAS'2005, Yen et al. presented a new chaos-based cryptosystem for multimedia transmission named "Multimedia Cryptography System" (MCS). No cryptanalytic results have been reported so far. This paper presents a differential attack to break MCS, which requires only seven chosen plaintexts. The complexity of the attack is O(N), where $N$ is the size of plaintext. Experimental results are also given to show the real performance of the proposed attack.


Software Engineering with Process Algebra: Modelling Client / Server Architectures

Abstract: In previous work we described how the process algebra based language PSF can be used in software engineering, using the ToolBus, a coordination architecture also based on process algebra, as implementation model. We also described this software development process more formally by presenting the tools we use in this process in a CASE setting, leading to the PSF-ToolBus software engineering environment. In this article we summarize that work and describe a similar software development process for implementation of software systems using a client / server model and present this in a CASE setting as well.


A Secure and Efficient Protocol for Group Key agreement in Heterogeneous Environment

Abstract: Secure group communication in heterogeneous environment is gaining popularity due to the advent of wireless and ubiquitous computing. Although a number of protocols for group key agreement have been proposed, most of them are not applicable in heterogeneous environment where a number of computationally limited nodes coexist with one or more computationally efficient nodes. Among the few existing protocols, where some fail to satisfy the key agreement properties, some are unable to handle the agreement for dynamic group. In this work, we propose a constant round group key agreement protocol for heterogeneous environment using polynomial interpolation. The protocol ensures both communication and computation efficiency by shifting the major computation load on powerful users, achieves true contributory key agreement property and dynamic handling of user join and leave. The security of the protocol has been analyzed under formal model. The comparison result shows considerable improvement in protocol efficiency compared to the existing ones.


Stability and Distributed Power Control in MANETs with Outages and Retransmissions

Abstract: In the current work the effects of hop-by-hop packet loss and retransmissions via ARQ protocols are investigated within a Mobile Ad-hoc NET-work (MANET). Errors occur due to outages and a success probability function is related to each link, which can be controlled by power and rate allocation. We first derive the expression for the network's capacity region, where the success function plays a critical role. Properties of the latter as well as the related maximum goodput function are presented and proved. A Network Utility Maximization problem (NUM) with stability constraints is further formulated which decomposes into (a) the input rate control problem and (b) the scheduling problem. Under certain assumptions problem (b) is relaxed to a weighted sum maximization problem with number of summants equal to the number of nodes. This further allows the formulation of a non-cooperative game where each node decides independently over its transmitting power through a chosen link. Use of supermodular game theory suggests a price based algorithm that converges to a power allocation satisfying the necessary optimality conditions of (b). Implementation issues are considered so that minimum information exchange between interfering nodes is required. Simulations illustrate that the suggested algorithm brings near optimal results.


New method to characterize a machining system: application in turning

Abstract: Many studies simulates the machining process by using a single degree of freedom spring-mass sytem to model the tool stiffness, or the workpiece stiffness, or the unit tool-workpiece stiffness in modelings 2D. Others impose the tool action, or use more or less complex modelings of the efforts applied by the tool taking account the tool geometry. Thus, all these models remain two-dimensional or sometimes partially three-dimensional. This paper aims at developing an experimental method allowing to determine accurately the real three-dimensional behaviour of a machining system (machine tool, cutting tool, tool-holder and associated system of force metrology six-component dynamometer). In the work-space model of machining, a new experimental procedure is implemented to determine the machining system elastic behaviour. An experimental study of machining system is presented. We propose a machining system static characterization. A decomposition in two distinct blocks of the system "Workpiece-Tool-Machine" is realized. The block Tool and the block Workpiece are studied and characterized separately by matrix stiffness and displacement (three translations and three rotations). The Castigliano's theory allows us to calculate the total stiffness matrix and the total displacement matrix. A stiffness center point and a plan of tool tip static displacement are presented in agreement with the turning machining dynamic model and especially during the self induced vibration. These results are necessary to have a good three-dimensional machining system dynamic characterization.


Wild Card Queries for Searching Resources on the Web

Abstract: We propose a domain-independent framework for searching and retrieving facts and relationships within natural language text sources. In this framework, an extraction task over a text collection is expressed as a query that combines text fragments with wild cards, and the query result is a set of facts in the form of unary, binary and general $n$-ary tuples. A significance of our querying mechanism is that, despite being both simple and declarative, it can be applied to a wide range of extraction tasks. A problem in querying natural language text though is that a user-specified query may not retrieve enough exact matches. Unlike term queries which can be relaxed by removing some of the terms (as is done in search engines), removing terms from a wild card query without ruining its meaning is more challenging. Also, any query expansion has the potential to introduce false positives. In this paper, we address the problem of query expansion, and also analyze a few ranking alternatives to score the results and to remove false positives. We conduct experiments and report an evaluation of the effectiveness of our querying and scoring functions.


Semantic Robot Vision Challenge: Current State and Future Directions

Abstract: The Semantic Robot Vision Competition provided an excellent opportunity for our research lab to integrate our many ideas under one umbrella, inspiring both collaboration and new research. The task, visual search for an unknown object, is relevant to both the vision and robotics communities. Moreover, since the interplay of robotics and vision is sometimes ignored, the competition provides a venue to integrate two communities. In this paper, we outline a number of modifications to the competition to both improve the state-of-the-art and increase participation.


Human-Robot Teams in Entertainment and Other Everyday Scenarios

Abstract: A new and relatively unexplored research direction in robotics systems is the coordination of humans and robots working as a team. In this paper, we focus upon problem domains and tasks in which multiple robots, humans and other agents are cooperating through coordination to satisfy a set of goals or to maximize utility. We are primarily interested in applications of human robot coordination in entertainment and other activities of daily life. We discuss the teamwork problem and propose an architecture to address this.


On optimal heuristic randomized semidecision procedures, with application to proof complexity

Abstract: The existence of a (p-)optimal propositional proof system is a major open question in (proof) complexity; many people conjecture that such systems do not exist. Krajicek and Pudlak (1989) show that this question is equivalent to the existence of an algorithm that is optimal on all propositional tautologies. Monroe (2009) recently gave a conjecture implying that such algorithm does not exist. We show that in the presence of errors such optimal algorithms do exist. The concept is motivated by the notion of heuristic algorithms. Namely, we allow the algorithm to claim a small number of false "theorems" (according to any samplable distribution on non-tautologies) and err with bounded probability on other inputs. Our result can also be viewed as the existence of an optimal proof system in a class of proof systems obtained by generalizing automatizable proof systems.


On the impact of TCP and per-flow scheduling on Internet performance (extended version)

Abstract: Internet performance is tightly related to the properties of TCP and UDP protocols, jointly responsible for the delivery of the great majority of Internet traffic. It is well understood how these protocols behave under FIFO queuing and what the network congestion effects. However, no comprehensive analysis is available when flow-aware mechanisms such as per-flow scheduling and dropping policies are deployed. Previous simulation and experimental results leave a number of unanswered questions. In the paper, we tackle this issue by modeling via a set of fluid non-linear ODEs the instantaneous throughput and the buffer occupancy of N long-lived TCP sources under three per-flow scheduling disciplines (Fair Queuing, Longest Queue First, Shortest Queue First) and with longest queue drop buffer management. We study the system evolution and analytically characterize the stationary regime: closed-form expressions are derived for the stationary throughput/sending rate and buffer occupancy which give thorough understanding of short/long-term fairness for TCP traffic. Similarly, we provide the characterization of the loss rate experienced by UDP flows in presence of TCP traffic.


Applications of Metric Coinduction

Abstract: Metric coinduction is a form of coinduction that can be used to establish properties of objects constructed as a limit of finite approximations. One can prove a coinduction step showing that some property is preserved by one step of the approximation process, then automatically infer by the coinduction principle that the property holds of the limit object. This can often be used to avoid complicated analytic arguments involving limits and convergence, replacing them with simpler algebraic arguments. This paper examines the application of this principle in a variety of areas, including infinite streams, Markov chains, Markov decision processes, and non-well-founded sets. These results point to the usefulness of coinduction as a general proof technique.


On Revenue Maximization in Second-Price Ad Auctions

Abstract: Most recent papers addressing the algorithmic problem of allocating advertisement space for keywords in sponsored search auctions assume that pricing is done via a first-price auction, which does not realistically model the Generalized Second Price (GSP) auction used in practice. Towards the goal of more realistically modeling these auctions, we introduce the Second-Price Ad Auctions problem, in which bidders' payments are determined by the GSP mechanism. We show that the complexity of the Second-Price Ad Auctions problem is quite different than that of the more studied First-Price Ad Auctions problem. First, unlike the first-price variant, for which small constant-factor approximations are known, it is NP-hard to approximate the Second-Price Ad Auctions problem to any non-trivial factor. Second, this discrepancy extends even to the 0-1 special case that we call the Second-Price Matching problem (2PM). In particular, offline 2PM is APX-hard, and for online 2PM there is no deterministic algorithm achieving a non-trivial competitive ratio and no randomized algorithm achieving a competitive ratio better than 2. This stands in contrast to the results for the analogous special case in the first-price model, the standard bipartite matching problem, which is solvable in polynomial time and which has deterministic and randomized online algorithms achieving better competitive ratios. On the positive side, we provide a 2-approximation for offline 2PM and a 5.083-competitive randomized algorithm for online 2PM. The latter result makes use of a new generalization of a classic result on the performance of the "Ranking" algorithm for online bipartite matching.


Informal specification-based performance evaluation of security protocols

Abstract: We propose a performance evaluation method for security protocols. Based on the informal specification, we construct a canonical model which includes, alongside protocol messages, cryptographic operations performed by participants in the process of message construction. Each cryptographic operation is assigned a cost modeled as a function of the size of processed message components. We model not only the size of regular message components but also the size of ciphertext produced by various cryptographic operations. We illustrate the applicability of our method by comparatively analyzing the performance of the original CCITT X.509 protocol and a slightly modified version of the same protocol.


Secure Linear Programming Using Privacy-Preserving Simplex

Abstract: This version of the paper has been withdrawn due to an error. Please contact one of the authors for an updated copy.


A Strong Direct Product Theorem for Disjointness

Abstract: A strong direct product theorem states that if we want to compute $k$ independent instances of a function, using less than $k$ times the resources needed for one instance, then the overall success probability will be exponentially small in $k$. We establish such a theorem for the randomized communication complexity of the Disjointness problem, i.e., with communication $const\cdot kn$ the success probability of solving $k$ instances of size $n$ can only be exponentially small in $k$. We show that this bound even holds for $AM$ communication protocols with limited ambiguity. This also implies a new lower bound for Disjointness in a restricted 3-player NOF protocol, and optimal communication-space tradeoffs for Boolean matrix product. Our main result follows from a solution to the dual of a linear programming problem, whose feasibility comes from a so-called Intersection Sampling Lemma that generalizes a result by Razborov.


Design and Implementation of a Distributed Middleware for Parallel Execution of Legacy Enterprise Applications

Abstract: A typical enterprise uses a local area network of computers to perform its business. During the off-working hours, the computational capacities of these networked computers are underused or unused. In order to utilize this computational capacity an application has to be recoded to exploit concurrency inherent in a computation which is clearly not possible for legacy applications without any source code. This thesis presents the design an implementation of a distributed middleware which can automatically execute a legacy application on multiple networked computers by parallelizing it. This middleware runs multiple copies of the binary executable code in parallel on different hosts in the network. It wraps up the binary executable code of the legacy application in order to capture the kernel level data access system calls and perform them distributively over multiple computers in a safe and conflict free manner. The middleware also incorporates a dynamic scheduling technique to execute the target application in minimum time by scavenging the available CPU cycles of the hosts in the network. This dynamic scheduling also supports the CPU availability of the hosts to change over time and properly reschedule the replicas performing the computation to minimize the execution time. A prototype implementation of this middleware has been developed as a proof of concept of the design. This implementation has been evaluated with a few typical case studies and the test results confirm that the middleware works as expected.


An approach for the automated risk assessment of structural differences between spreadsheets (DiffXL)

Abstract: This paper outlines an approach to manage and quantify the risks associated with changes made to spreadsheets. The methodology focuses on structural differences between spreadsheets and suggests a technique by which a risk analysis can be achieved in an automated environment. The paper offers an example that demonstrates how contiguous ranges of data can be mapped into a generic list of formulae, data and metadata. The example then shows that comparison of these generic lists can establish the structural differences between spreadsheets and quantify the level of risk that each change has introduced. Lastly the benefits, drawbacks and limitations of the technique are discussed in a commercial context.


Techniques for Highly Multiobjective Optimisation: Some Nondominated Points are Better than Others

Abstract: The research area of evolutionary multiobjective optimization (EMO) is reaching better understandings of the properties and capabilities of EMO algorithms, and accumulating much evidence of their worth in practical scenarios. An urgent emerging issue is that the favoured EMO algorithms scale poorly when problems have many (e.g. five or more) objectives. One of the chief reasons for this is believed to be that, in many-objective EMO search, populations are likely to be largely composed of nondominated solutions. In turn, this means that the commonly-used algorithms cannot distinguish between these for selective purposes. However, there are methods that can be used validly to rank points in a nondominated set, and may therefore usefully underpin selection in EMO search. Here we discuss and compare several such methods. Our main finding is that simple variants of the often-overlooked Average Ranking strategy usually outperform other methods tested, covering problems with 5-20 objectives and differing amounts of inter-objective correlation.


Component based platform for multimedia applications

Abstract: We propose a platform for distributed multimedia applications which simplifies the development process and at the same time ensures application portability, flexibility and performance. The platform is implemented using the Netscape Portable Runtime (NSPR) and the Cross-Platform Component Object Model (XPCOM).


Term-based composition of security protocols

Abstract: In the context of security protocol parallel composition, where messages belonging to different protocols can intersect each other, we introduce a new paradigm: term-based composition (i.e. the composition of message components also known as terms). First, we create a protocol specification model by extending the original strand spaces. Then, we provide a term composition algorithm based on which new terms can be constructed. To ensure that security properties are maintained, we introduce the concept of term connections to express the existing connections between terms and encryption contexts. We illustrate the proposed composition process by using two existing protocols.


Data structure for representing a graph: combination of linked list and hash table

Abstract: In this article we discuss a data structure, which combines advantages of two different ways for representing graphs: adjacency matrix and collection of adjacency lists. This data structure can fast add and search edges (advantages of adjacency matrix), use linear amount of memory, let to obtain adjacency list for certain vertex (advantages of collection of adjacency lists). Basic knowledge of linked lists and hash tables is required to understand this article. The article contains examples of implementation on Java.


A Modeling Framework for Generating Security Protocol Specifications

Abstract: We propose a modeling framework for generating security protocol specifications. The generated protocol specifications rely on the use of a sequential and a semantical component. The first component defines protocol properties such as preconditions, effects, message sequences and it is developed as a WSDL-S specification. The second component defines the semantic aspects corresponding to the messages included in the first component by the use of ontological constructions and it is developed as an OWL-based specification. Our approach was validated on 13 protocols from which we mention: the ISO9798 protocol, the CCITTX.509 data transfer protocol and the Kerberos symmetric key protocol.


Computational Understanding and Manipulation of Symmetries

Abstract: For natural and artificial systems with some symmetry structure, computational understanding and manipulation can be achieved without learning by exploiting the algebraic structure. Here we describe this algebraic coordinatization method and apply it to permutation puzzles. Coordinatization yields a structural understanding, not just solutions for the puzzles.


Another Look at Quantum Neural Computing

Abstract: The term quantum neural computing indicates a unity in the functioning of the brain. It assumes that the neural structures perform classical processing and that the virtual particles associated with the dynamical states of the structures define the underlying quantum state. We revisit the concept and also summarize new arguments related to the learning modes of the brain in response to sensory input that may be aggregated in three types: associative, reorganizational, and quantum. The associative and reorganizational types are quite apparent based on experimental findings; it is much harder to establish that the brain as an entity exhibits quantum properties. We argue that the reorganizational behavior of the brain may be viewed as inner adjustment corresponding to its quantum behavior at the system level. Not only neural structures but their higher abstractions also may be seen as whole entities. We consider the dualities associated with the behavior of the brain and how these dualities are bridged.


Location of Single Neuron Memories in a Hebbian Network

Abstract: This paper reports the results of an experiment on the use of Kak's B-Matrix approach to spreading activity in a Hebbian neural network. Specifically, it concentrates on the memory retrieval from single neurons and compares the performance of the B-Matrix approach to that of the traditional approach.


Asymptotically Optimal Assignments In Ordinal Evaluations of Proposals

Abstract: In ordinal evaluations of proposals in peer review systems, a set of proposals is assigned to a fixed set of referees so as to maximize the number of pairwise comparisons of proposals under certain referee capacity and proposal subject constraints. In this paper, the following two related problems are considered: (1) Assuming that each referee has a capacity to review k out of n proposals, 2 < k < n, determine the minimum number of referees needed to ensure that each pair of proposals is reviewed by at least one referee, (2) Find an assignment that meets the lower bound determined in (1). It is easy to see that one referee is both necessary and sufficient when k = n, and n(n-1)/2 referees are both necessary and sufficient when k = 2. We show that 6 referees are both necessary and sufficient when k = n/2. We further show that 11 referees are necessary and 12 are sufficient when k = n/3, and 18 referees are necessary and 20 referees are sufficient when k = n/4. A more general lower bound of n(n-1)/k(k-1) referees is also given for any k, 2 < k < n, and an assignment asymptotically matching this lower bound within a factor of 2 is presented. These results are not only theoretically interesting but they also provide practical methods for efficient assignments of proposals to referees.


Non-quadratic convex regularized reconstruction of MR images from spiral acquisitions

Abstract: Combining fast MR acquisition sequences and high resolution imaging is a major issue in dynamic imaging. Reducing the acquisition time can be achieved by using non-Cartesian and sparse acquisitions. The reconstruction of MR images from these measurements is generally carried out using gridding that interpolates the missing data to obtain a dense Cartesian k-space filling. The MR image is then reconstructed using a conventional Fast Fourier Transform. The estimation of the missing data unavoidably introduces artifacts in the image that remain difficult to quantify. A general reconstruction method is proposed to take into account these limitations. It can be applied to any sampling trajectory in k-space, Cartesian or not, and specifically takes into account the exact location of the measured data, without making any interpolation of the missing data in k-space. Information about the expected characteristics of the imaged object is introduced to preserve the spatial resolution and improve the signal to noise ratio in a regularization framework. The reconstructed image is obtained by minimizing a non-quadratic convex objective function. An original rewriting of this criterion is shown to strongly improve the reconstruction efficiency. Results on simulated data and on a real spiral acquisition are presented and discussed.


Rate Constrained Random Access over a Fading Channel

Abstract: In this paper, we consider uplink transmissions involving multiple users communicating with a base station over a fading channel. We assume that the base station does not coordinate the transmissions of the users and hence the users employ random access communication. The situation is modeled as a non-cooperative repeated game with incomplete information. Each user attempts to minimize its long term power consumption subject to a minimum rate requirement. We propose a two timescale stochastic gradient algorithm (TTSGA) for tuning the users' transmission probabilities. The algorithm includes a 'waterfilling threshold update mechanism' that ensures that the rate constraints are satisfied. We prove that under the algorithm, the users' transmission probabilities converge to a Nash equilibrium. Moreover, we also prove that the rate constraints are satisfied; this is also demonstrated using simulation studies.


A Stable On-line Algorithm for Energy Efficient Multi-user Scheduling

Abstract: In this paper, we consider the problem of energy efficient uplink scheduling with delay constraint for a multi-user wireless system. We address this problem within the framework of constrained Markov decision processes (CMDPs) wherein one seeks to minimize one cost (average power) subject to a hard constraint on another (average delay). We do not assume the arrival and channel statistics to be known. To handle state space explosion and informational constraints, we split the problem into individual CMDPs for the users, coupled through their Lagrange multipliers; and a user selection problem at the base station. To address the issue of unknown channel and arrival statistics, we propose a reinforcement learning algorithm. The users use this learning algorithm to determine the rate at which they wish to transmit in a slot and communicate this to the base station. The base station then schedules the user with the highest rate in a slot. We analyze convergence, stability and optimality properties of the algorithm. We also demonstrate the efficacy of the algorithm through simulations within IEEE 802.16 system.


Mathematical Modeling of Aerodynamic Space -to - Surface Flight with Trajectory for Avoid Intercepting Process for Safety and Security Issues

Abstract: The research project has been made for mathematical modeling of aerospace system Space-to-Surface for avoid intercepting process by flight objects Surface-to-Air. The research has been completed and created mathematical models which used for research and statistical analysis. In mathematical modeling has been including a few models: Model of atmosphere, Model of speed of sound, Model of flight head in space, Model of flight in atmosphere, Models of navigation and guidance, Model and statistical analysis of approximation of aerodynamic characteristics. Modeling has been created for a Space-to-Surface system defined for an optimal trajectory in terminal phase. The modeling includes models for simulation atmosphere, aerodynamic flight and navigation by an infrared system. The modeling simulation includes statistical analysis of the modeling results.


On the Relationship between Trading Network and WWW Network: A Preferential Attachment Perspective

Abstract: This paper describes the relationship between trading network and WWW network from preferential attachment mechanism perspective. This mechanism is known to be the underlying principle in the network evolution and has been incorporated to formulate two famous web pages ranking algorithms, PageRank and HITS. We point out the differences between trading network and WWW network in this mechanism, derive the formulation of HITS-based ranking algorithm for trading network as a direct consequence of the differences, and apply the same framework when deriving the formulation back to the HITS formulation that turns to become a technique to accelerate its convergences.


Exact generation of acyclic deterministic finite automata

Abstract: We give a canonical representation for trim acyclic deterministic finite automata (Adfa) with n states over an alphabet of k symbols. Using this normal form, we present a backtracking algorithm for the exact generation of Adfas. This algorithm is a non trivial adaptation of the algorithm for the exact generation of minimal acyclic deterministic finite automata, presented by Almeida et al.


Multipath Wireless Network Coding: A Population Game Perspective

Abstract: We consider wireless networks in which multiple paths are available between each source and destination. We allow each source to split traffic among all of its available paths, and ask the question: how do we attain the lowest possible number of transmissions to support a given traffic matrix? Traffic bound in opposite directions over two wireless hops can utilize the ``reverse carpooling'' advantage of network coding in order to decrease the number of transmissions used. We call such coded hops as ``hyper-links''. With the reverse carpooling technique longer paths might be cheaper than shorter ones. However, there is a prisoners dilemma type situation among sources -- the network coding advantage is realized only if there is traffic in both directions of a shared path. We develop a two-level distributed control scheme that decouples user choices from each other by declaring a hyper-link capacity, allowing sources to split their traffic selfishly in a distributed fashion, and then changing the hyper-link capacity based on user actions. We show that such a controller is stable, and verify our analytical insights by simulation.


Geometric Analysis of the Conformal Camera for Intermediate-Level Vision and Perisaccadic Perception

Abstract: A binocular system developed by the author in terms of projective Fourier transform (PFT) of the conformal camera, which numerically integrates the head, eyes, and visual cortex, is used to process visual information during saccadic eye movements. Although we make three saccades per second at the eyeball's maximum speed of 700 deg/sec, our visual system accounts for these incisive eye movements to produce a stable percept of the world. This visual constancy is maintained by neuronal receptive field shifts in various retinotopically organized cortical areas prior to saccade onset, giving the brain access to visual information from the saccade's target before the eyes' arrival. It integrates visual information acquisition across saccades. Our modeling utilizes basic properties of PFT. First, PFT is computable by FFT in complex logarithmic coordinates that approximate the retinotopy. Second, a translation in retinotopic (logarithmic) coordinates, modeled by the shift property of the Fourier transform, remaps the presaccadic scene into a postsaccadic reference frame. It also accounts for the perisaccadic mislocalization observed by human subjects in laboratory experiments. Because our modeling involves cross-disciplinary areas of conformal geometry, abstract and computational harmonic analysis, computational vision, and visual neuroscience, we include the corresponding background material and elucidate how these different areas interwove in our modeling of primate perception. In particular, we present the physiological and behavioral facts underlying the neural processes related to our modeling. We also emphasize the conformal camera's geometry and discuss how it is uniquely useful in the intermediate-level vision computational aspects of natural scene understanding.


WebNC: efficient sharing of web applications

Abstract: WebNC is a system for efficiently sharing, retrieving and viewing web applications. Unlike existing screencasting and screensharing tools, WebNC is optimized to work with web pages where a lot of scrolling happens. WebNC uses a tile-based encoding to capture, transmit and deliver web applications, and relies only on dynamic HTML and JavaScript. The resulting webcasts require very little bandwidth and are viewable on any modern web browser including Firefox and Internet Explorer as well as browsers on the iPhone and Android platforms.


The Function of Gesture in an Architectural Design Meeting

Abstract: This text presents a cognitive-psychology analysis of spontaneous, co-speech gestures in a face-to-face architectural design meeting (A1 in DTRS7). The long-term objective is to formulate specifications for remote collaborative-design systems, especially for supporting the use of different semiotic modalities (multi-modal interaction). According to their function for design, interaction, and collaboration, we distinguish different gesture families: representational (entity designating or specifying), organisational (management of discourse, interaction, or functional design actions), focalising, discourse and interaction modulating, and disambiguating gestures. Discussion and conclusion concern the following points. It is impossible to attribute fixed functions to particular gesture forms. "Designating" gestures may also have a design function. The gestures identified in A1 possess a certain generic character. The gestures identified are neither systematically irreplaceable, nor optional accessories to speech or drawing. We discuss the possibilities for gesture in computer-supported collaborative software systems. The paper closes on our contribution to gesture studies and cognitive design research.