Controlling the order of moves in voting by veto. II. Algorithms for constructing an optimal order of moves

The study of issues concerning collective decision-making in complex systems using voting by veto is continued. A dedicated player is assumed to exist in the collective that forms the order of voting (order of moves) for the other participants. The problem of searching for the control strategy for the order of moves that ensures the win of alternative 1 that is preferable for the dedicated player is studied for the previously unstudied cases when such an order of moves exists. In particular, an algorithm for constructing such an order is proposed for the case when there is another participant for which alternative 1 is higher than the fourth from the end and when there is a group of participants that are relatively well-disposed to alternative 1 (more precisely, this alternative is higher than the third from the end for them). It is shown that the preference order of the alternatives that are better than alternative 1 is of no importance for the problem under consideration. It is proved that the conditions for the participants’ preferences that are sufficient for the existence of the desired order of moves (they were obtained in the first part of this paper) are unimprovable.     

MasterCard and Visa release specification

MasterCard International and Visa are working together to develop a common standard for the personalization of EMV applications, such as MasterCard’s M/Chip and Visa Smart Debit/Credit (VSDC). The standard is to be called the EMV Card Personalization Specification and is expected to be released this month.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

A synthetic biology approach to bio-chem-ICT: first moves towards chemical communication between synthetic and natural cells

In this article we present novel aspects of the impact that synthetic biology (SB) can express in a field traditionally based on computer science: information and communication technologies (ICTs), an area that we will consider taking into account also possible implications for artificial intelligence (AI) research. In the first part of this article we will shortly introduce some recent theoretical and experimental issues related to our approach in SB, discussing their relevance and potentiality in the field. Next, we define an original SB research programme that aims at contributing to the development of bio-chem-ICTs and AI based on chemical communication between natural and synthetic cells. In particular we present (i) a mathematical model that allows us to simulate the main features of the system under construction; and (ii) preliminary wet-lab experiments showing the feasibility of our research programme. Based on the bottom-up construction of synthetic cells, the traits of this novel approach and their connections with recent conceptual and technological trends are finally discussed.     

Visa puts its faith in wallets

Consumers are not shopping online because they are reluctant to send their payment card details across the Internet. Using smart cards to hold card details and then to encrypt these details automatically for transmission to merchant sites is the long-term solution. But the widespread introduction of smart cards — and readers at PCs to handle them — is still some way off. So Visa has come up with an interim solution — the electronic wallet.     

Visa launches first contactless EMV card

Visa Asia Pacific has announced the world's first contactless Visa smart card that is compatible with the global EMV smart card standard. The Visa Wave card eliminates the need for a signature and the need to hand the card to the cashier. The first cards are to be issued by MBF Cards in Malaysia.