Graphics standards in the GDR

This article outlines implementations and applications of the GKS standard and GKS-3D standard in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The graphical standardization in the GDR was highly stimulated by becoming a member of the ISO and by the active colaboration of the GDR in the ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 “Computer Graphics.” Some of the national activities and efforts in this field are illustrated.     

The diffusion of anticipatory standards with particular reference to the ISO/IEC information resource dictionary system framework standard

In the late 1980s, traditional standards development organisations (SDOs) were moving toward creating anticipatory standards as a way of coping with the fast growth in new technology in the computing industry. The development of anticipatory standards (standards developed ahead of the technology) was seen as a possible way for the formal standards bodies to keep abreast of these rapid changes. By creating standards ahead of the technology, the standards would act as “change agents” and guide the market. Anticipatory standards were seen as one way of addressing the problem of arriving at suboptimal de facto standards. If the industry can be guided before the technology develops, this will encourage the use of optimal products. This paper considers the diffusion pattern of the ISO/IEC Information Resource Dictionary System (IRDS) Framework standard that fits into the category of an anticipatory standard. Comparisons are made between the diffusion patterns of the ISO/IEC IRDS standard and the ISO/IEC Open Standards Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model as they were both anticipatory in nature, both framework/reference standards, both originated at approximately the same time and were both developed in traditional standards development organisations.     

Applying CIM technology to image factories

Image processing allows the automation of the business transaction, turning “paper factories” into “image factories.” This burgeoning new area of computerization needs new paradigms, theories, and methods to maximize its effectiveness at cutting time and costs. This paper investigates what this new area of computerization can gain from CIM technology. It examines the similarities between the processing of computer images in a paperless business environment and the processing of materials into products in the manufacturing plant. These similarities will allow us to apply mature, well-tested CIM techniques to emerging image factories.     

CAD Standard parts file — A DIN project in the standards committee on tabular layouts for article characteristics

The project was started in December 84, to define the necessary data records, to handle standard parts on CAD systems and work stations.

Basis of the data records were the article characteristics, documented in the German Standard DIN 4000. The aim is to add information on the logical structure of the standard parts from the tables in the “Product Standards”.

During the first year of work it was noted that the user of the data will have a more efficient implementation, if corresponding standardized software is available to produce the selected graphic- and model-representation in the CAD systems. This is to be realized in close cooperation with the German NAM 96.4 (Standardization Committee for Manufacturing of Machines) and the corresponding ISO/TC 184 SC 4 (Industrial Automation, External Representation of Product Definition Data) as well as vendors and users of CAD systems.

The software will be realized on a FORTRAN basis. The relevant FORTRAN-Extension has been documented in the Prestandard DIN V 66304.

The results of the project offered by DIN shall be:

1. - standardized data records and software for the mostly used standard parts

2. - tested and actualized files and subroutine-libraries

3. - DIN certificates in a neutral form, e.g. independent from features of specific CAD systems.

     

Color enhancement of highly correlated images. I. Decorrelation and HSI contrast stretches

Conventional enhancements for the color display of multispectral images are based on independent contrast modifications or “stretches” of three input images. This approach is not effective if the image channels are highly correlated or if the image histograms are strongly bimodal or more complex. Any of several procedures that tend to “stretch” color saturation while leaving hue unchanged may better utilize the full range of colors for the display of image information. Two conceptually different enhancements are discussed: the “decorrelation stretch”, based on principal-component (PC) analysis, and the “stretch” of “hue”-“saturation”-intensity (HSI) transformed data. The PC transformation is scene-dependent, but the HSI transformation is invariant. Examples of images enhanced by conventional linear stretches, decorrelation stretch, and by stretches of HSI transformed data are compared. Schematic variation diagrams or two- and three-dimensional histograms are used to illustrate the “decorrelation stretch” method and the effect of the different enhancements.     

Convergence and complexity of interpolatory—newton iteration in a Banach space

The class of interpolatory—Newton iterations is defined and analyzed for the computation of a simple zero of a non-linear operator in a Banach space of finite or infinite dimension. Convergence of the class is established.

The concepts of “informationally optimal class of algorithms” and “optimal algorithm” are formalized. For the multivariate case, the optimality of Newton iteration is established in the class of one-point iterations under an “equal cost assumption”.     

On two-sided infinite fixed points of morphisms

Let Σ be a finite alphabet, and let h:Σ^* → Σ^* be a morphism. Finite and infinite fixed points of morphisms—i.e., those words w such that h(w)=w—play an important role in formal language theory. Head characterized the finite fixed points of h, and later, Head and Lando characterized the one-sided infinite fixed points of h. Our paper has two main results. First, we complete the characterization of fixed points of morphisms by describing all two-sided infinite fixed points of h, for both the “pointed” and “unpointed” cases. Second, we completely characterize the solutions to the equation h(xy)=yx in finite words.     

Mach band optical ray illusion—Drawing with the second differential

Mach bands running along convex ramp edges in a computer graphics image produce the illusion of optical rays, and a concave ramp edge defines an interface for “reflection.” The positive and negative brightness enhancements (E) observed in the illusion are simulated by convolving the pattern of gradient increments (Δg) computed at the edges with a Gaussian kernel (G): E ∝ − Δg G.     

Implementing mass customization

Total Customer Satisfaction today can mean embarking on “Mass Customization”: giving every customer a product tailored specifically to his or her needs. In the past, manufacturing was usually “high volume, low mix”, characterized by keeping costs down with economies of scale, or “low volume, high mix”, incurring costs and time for changeovers and special handling. Today's mass customization, however, can result in a challenging manufacturing environment with both high volume and high mix, where customers expect individualized products at the same price they paid for mass-produced items. Meeting this challenge requires changes in the manufacturing processes. Equipment must be more flexible. Most important are the computer systems which support the manufacturing enterprise. Never has data been so essential to define, control, and monitor manufacturing as with mass customization. Motorola's product lines — from the pagers with millions of possible options, to the cellular phones and semiconductors — are all experiencing the move to mass customization. This presentation will describe some Motorola examples and the methods used to achieve world-class manufacturing under these conditions.     

QuickBird and Hyperion data analysis of an invasive plant species in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador: Implications for control and land use management

In the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, one of the greatest threats to the terrestrial ecosystem is the increasing number and areal extent of invasive species. Increased human presence on the islands has hastened the introduction of plant and animal species that threaten the native and endemic flora and fauna. Considerable research on invasive species in the Galapagos Islands has been conducted by the Charles Darwin Foundation. We complement that work through a spatially- and spectrally-explicit satellite assessment of an important invasive plant species (Psidium guajava — guava) on Isabela Island that integrates diverse remote sensing systems, data types, spatial and spectral resolutions, and analytical and image processing approaches. QuickBird and Hyperion satellite data are processed to characterize the areal extent and spatial structure of guava through the following approaches: (1) QuickBird data are classified through a traditional pixel-based approach (i.e., an unsupervised classification approach using the ISODATA algorithm), as well as an Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) approach; (2) multiple approaches for spectral “unmixing” of the Hyperion hyper-spectral data are assessed to construct spectral end-members from QuickBird data using linear and non-linear mixture modeling approaches; and (3) landscape pattern metrics are calculated and compared for the pixel-based, object-based, and spectral unmixing approaches. The spectral–spatial characteristics of guava are interpreted relative to management strategies for the control of guava and the restoration of natural ecosystems in the Galapagos National Park.     

Seamless live migration of virtual machines over the MAN/WAN

The “VM Turntable” demonstrator at iGRID 2005 pioneered the integration of Virtual Machines (VMs) with deterministic “lightpath” network services across a MAN/WAN. The results provide for a new stage of virtualization—one for which computation is no longer localized within a data center but rather can be migrated across geographical distances, with negligible downtime, transparently to running applications and external clients. A noteworthy data point indicates that a live VM was migrated between Amsterdam, NL and San Diego, USA with just 1–2 s of application downtime. When compared to intra-LAN local migrations, downtime is only about 5–10 times greater despite 1000 times higher round-trip times.     

Relation-algebraic semantics

The first half is a tutorial on orderings, lattices, Boolean algebras, operators on Boolean algebras, Tarski's fixed point theorem, and relation algebras.

In the second half, elements of a complete relation algebra are used as “meanings” for program statements. The use of relation algebras for this purpose was pioneered by de Bakker and de Roever in [10–12]. For a class of programming languages with program schemes, single μ-recursion, while-statements, if-then-else, sequential composition, and nondeterministic choice, a definition of “correct interpretation” is given which properly reflects the intuitive (or operational) meanings of the program constructs. A correct interpretation includes for each program statement an element serving as “input/output relation” and a domain element specifying that statement's “domain of nontermination”. The derivative of Hitchcock and Park [17] is defined and a relation-algebraic version of the extension by de Bakker [8, 9] of the Hitchcock-Park theorem is proved. The predicate transformers wp_s(-) and wlp_s(-) are defined and shown to obey all the standard laws in [15]. The “law of the excluded miracle” is shown to hold for an entire language if it holds for that language's basic statements (assignment statements and so on). Determinism is defined and characterized for all the program constructs. A relation-algebraic version of the invariance theorem for while-statements is given. An alternative definition of intepretation, called “demonic”, is obtained by using “demonic union” in place of ordinary union, and “demonic composition” in place of ordinary relational composition. Such interpretations are shown to arise naturally from a special class of correct interpretations, and to obey the laws of wp_s(-).     

Optimizing agent-based meeting scheduling through preference estimation

Meeting scheduling is a routine task that needs to be performed quite regularly and frequently within any organization. Unfortunately, this task can be quite tedious and time-consuming, potentially requiring a several rounds of negotiations among many people on the meeting date, time and place before a meeting can finally be confirmed. The objective of our research is to create an agent-based environment within which meeting scheduling can be performed and optimized. For meeting scheduling, we define optimality as the solution that has the highest average preference level among all the possible choices. Our model tries to mimic real life in that an individual's preferences are not made public. Without complete information, traditional optimal algorithms, such as A^* will not work. In this paper, we present a novel “preference estimation” technique that allows us to find optimal solutions to negotiations problems without needing to know the exact preference models of all the meeting participants beforehand. Instead, their preferences are “estimated” and built on the fly based on observations of their responses during negotiation. Another unique contribution is the use of “preference rules” that allow preferences to change dynamical as scheduling decisions are made. This mimics changing preferences as schedule gets filled. This paper uses two negotiation algorithms to compare the effect of “preference estimation”—one that is based on negotiation through relaxation and the other that extends this with preference estimations. Simulations were then performed to compare these algorithms.     

浅谈软件质量度量和软件产品评价

软件质量度量和软件产品评价系列标准是国际标准化组织ISO／IEC JTC1近年来在软件工程标准方面的研究重点之一,对于通过量化手段进行软件产品的度量和评价,规范软件产品的质量管理,这两个系列标准提供了一条可以参考的实施途径。本文在多年跟踪研究国际上软件工程标准和制定软件工程国家标准的基础上,对ISO／IEC JTC1近年推出的ISO／IEC 9126和ISO／IEC 14598系列,以及正在研制的ISO／IEC 25000系列标准进行综合介绍。     

Combined effects of in-plane boundary conditions and stiffening on buckling of eccentrically stringer-stiffened cylindrical panels

Donnel type stability equations for buckling of stringer stiffened cylindrical panels under combined axial compression and hydrostatic pressure are solved by the displacement approach of [6], The solution is employed for a parametric study over a wide range of panel and stringer geometries to evaluate the combined influence of panel configurations and boundary conditions along the straight edges on the buckling behavior of the panel relative to a complete “counter” cylinder (i.e. a cylinder with identical skin and stiffener parameters).

The parametric studies reveal a “sensitivity” to the “weak in shear”, N_x = N_xφ = 0, along the straight edges, SS1 boundary conditions type where the panel buckling loads are always smaller than those predicted for a complete “counter” cylinder. In the case of “classical”, SS3 B.Cs., there always exist values of panel width, 2φ₀, for which ρ = 1, i.e. the panel buckling load equals that of the complete “counter” cylinder. For SS2 and SS4 B.Cs. types, the nature by which the panel critical load approaches that of the complete cylinder appears to be panel configuration dependent.

Utilization of panels for the experimental determination of a complete cylinder buckling load is found to be satisfactory for relatively very lightly and heavily stiffened panels, as well as for short panels, (L/R) = 0.2 and 0.5. Panels of moderate length and stiffening have to be debarred, since they lead to nonconservative buckling load predictions.     

An approach to a Z toolkit for the Reference Model of Open Distributed Processing

We discuss the usage of the (non-OO) Z specification language to represent some fundamental concepts of the ISO Reference Model of Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP) and the ISO General Relationship Model (GRM). After discussing some of the difficulties involved, we offer suggestions on how Z can be used successfully for specifying and modeling open object-based distributed systems. Although fundamental specification concepts of RM-ODP and GRM are less well-known than “traditional” mathematics, we propose an RM-ODP toolkit somewhat analogous in its usage to the well-known mathematical toolkit in Z.     

Constrained multibody system dynamics an automated approach

The governing equations for constrained multibody systems are formulated in a manner suitable for their automated, numerical development and solution. Specifically, the “closed loop” problem of multibody chain systems is addressed.

The governing equations are developed by modifying dynamical equations obtained from Lagrange's form of d'Alembert's principle. This modification, which is based upon a solution of the constraint equations obtained through a “zero eigenvalues theorem,” is, in effect, a contraction of the dynamical equations.

It is observed that, for a system with n generalized coordinates and m constraint equations, the coefficients in the constraint equations may be viewed as “constraint vectors” in n-dimensional space. Then, in this setting the system itself is free to move in the n−m directions which are “orthogonal” to the constraint vectors.