Compressed Multiresolution Hierarchies for High‐Quality Precomputed Shadows

The quality of shadow mapping is traditionally limited by texture resolution. We present a novel lossless compression scheme for high‐resolution shadow maps based on precomputed multiresolution hierarchies. Traditional multiresolution trees can compactly represent homogeneous regions of shadow maps at coarser levels, but require many nodes for fine details. By conservatively adapting the depth map, we can significantly reduce the tree complexity. Our proposed method offers high compression rates, avoids quantization errors, exploits coherency along all data dimensions, and is well‐suited for GPU architectures. Our approach can be applied for coherent shadow maps as well, enabling several applications, including high‐quality soft shadows and dynamic lights moving on fixed‐trajectories.     

FLAME: a formal framework for the automated analysis of software product lines validated by automated specification testing

In a literature review on the last 20 years of automated analysis of feature models, the formalization of analysis operations was identified as the most relevant challenge in the field. This formalization could provide very valuable assets for tool developers such as a precise definition of the analysis operations and, what is more, a reference implementation, i.e., a trustworthy, not necessarily efficient implementation to compare different tools outputs. In this article, we present the FLAME framework as the result of facing this challenge. FLAME is a formal framework that can be used to formally specify not only feature models, but other variability modeling languages (VML s) as well. This reusability is achieved by its two-layered architecture. The abstract foundation layer is the bottom layer in which all VML-independent analysis operations and concepts are specified. On top of the foundation layer, a family of characteristic model layers—one for each VML to be formally specified—can be developed by redefining some abstract types and relations. The verification and validation of FLAME has followed a process in which formal verification has been performed traditionally by manual theorem proving, but validation has been performed by integrating our experience on metamorphic testing of variability analysis tools, something that has shown to be much more effective than manually designed test cases. To follow this automated, test-based validation approach, the specification of FLAME, written in Z, was translated into Prolog and 20,000 random tests were automatically generated and executed. Tests results helped to discover some inconsistencies not only in the formal specification, but also in the previous informal definitions of the analysis operations and in current analysis tools. After this process, the Prolog implementation of FLAME is being used as a reference implementation for some tool developers, some analysis operations have been formally specified for the first time with more generic semantics, and more VML s are being formally specified using FLAME.     

Guided Image Filtering for Interactive High‐quality Global Illumination

Interactive computation of global illumination is a major challenge in current computer graphics research. Global illumination heavily affects the visual quality of generated images. It is therefore a key attribute for the perception of photo‐realistic images. Path tracing is able to simulate the physical behaviour of light using Monte Carlo techniques. However, the computational burden of this technique prohibits interactive rendering times on standard commodity hardware in high‐quality. Trying to solve the Monte Carlo integration with fewer samples results in characteristic noisy images. Global illumination filtering methods take advantage of the fact that the integral for neighbouring pixels may be very similar. Averaging samples of similar characteristics in screen‐space may approximate the correct integral, but may result in visible outliers. In this paper, we present a novel path tracing pipeline based on an edge‐aware filtering method for the indirect illumination which produces visually more pleasing results without noticeable outliers. The key idea is not to filter the noisy path traced images but to use it as a guidance to filter a second image composed from characteristic scene attributes that do not contain noise by default. We show that our approach better approximates the Monte Carlo integral compared to previous methods. Since the computation is carried out completely in screen‐space it is therefore applicable to fully dynamic scenes, arbitrary lighting and allows for high‐quality path tracing at interactive frame rates on commodity hardware.     

A new DSATUR-based algorithm for exact vertex coloring

This paper describes a new exact algorithm PASS for the vertex coloring problem based on the well known DSATUR algorithm. At each step DSATUR maximizes saturation degree to select a new candidate vertex to color, breaking ties by maximum degree w.r.t. uncolored vertices. Later Sewell introduced a new tiebreaking strategy, which evaluated available colors for each vertex explicitly. PASS differs from Sewell in that it restricts its application to a particular set of vertices. Overall performance is improved when the new strategy is applied selectively instead of at every step. The paper also reports systematic experiments over 1500 random graphs and a subset of the DIMACS color benchmark.     

Intrinsically universal n-dimensional quantum cellular automata

Several non-axiomatic approaches have been taken to define Quantum Cellular Automata (QCA); Partitioned QCA (PQCA) are the most canonical. Here we show any QCA can be put into PQCA form. Our construction reconciles the non-axiomatic definitions of QCA, showing that they can all simulate one another, thus they are all equivalent to the axiomatic definition. A simple n-dimensional QCA capable of simulating all others to arbitrary precision is described, where the initial configuration and the evolution of any QCA can be encoded within the initial configuration of the intrinsically universal QCA. Several steps then correspond to one step of the simulated QCA, achieved via a non-trivial reduction of the problem to universality in quantum circuits. Results are formalised by defining generalised n-dimensional intrinsic simulation, preserving topology in that each cell of the simulated QCA is encoded as a group of adjacent cells in the universal QCA. Implications are discussed.     

udpSkeduler: A Web architecture based decision support system for course and classroom scheduling

A key process for post-secondary educational institutions is the definition of course timetables and classroom assignments. Manual scheduling methods require enormous amounts of time and resources to deliver results of questionable quality, and multiple course and classroom conflicts usually occur. This article presents a scheduling system implemented in a Web environment. This system generates optimal schedules via an integer-programming model. Among its functionalities, this system enables direct interaction with instructors in order to gather data on their time availability for teaching courses. The results demonstrate that significant improvements over the typical fully manual process were obtained.     

Fast wrapper feature subset selection in high-dimensional datasets by means of filter re-ranking

This paper deals with the problem of supervised wrapper-based feature subset selection in datasets with a very large number of attributes. Recently the literature has contained numerous references to the use of hybrid selection algorithms: based on a filter ranking, they perform an incremental wrapper selection over that ranking. Though working fine, these methods still have their problems: (1) depending on the complexity of the wrapper search method, the number of wrapper evaluations can still be too large; and (2) they rely on a univariate ranking that does not take into account interaction between the variables already included in the selected subset and the remaining ones.Here we propose a new approach whose main goal is to drastically reduce the number of wrapper evaluations while maintaining good performance (e.g. accuracy and size of the obtained subset). To do this we propose an algorithm that iteratively alternates between filter ranking construction and wrapper feature subset selection (FSS). Thus, the FSS only uses the first block of ranked attributes and the ranking method uses the current selected subset in order to build a new ranking where this knowledge is considered. The algorithm terminates when no new attribute is selected in the last call to the FSS algorithm. The main advantage of this approach is that only a few blocks of variables are analyzed, and so the number of wrapper evaluations decreases drastically.The proposed method is tested over eleven high-dimensional datasets (2400-46,000 variables) using different classifiers. The results show an impressive reduction in the number of wrapper evaluations without degrading the quality of the obtained subset.     

Prediction of parking space availability in real time

Intelligent parking reservation (IPR) systems allow customers to select a parking facility according to their preferences, rapidly park their vehicle without searching for a free stall, and pay their reservation in advance avoiding queues. Some IPR systems interact with in-vehicle navigation systems and provide users with information in real time such as capacity, parking fee, and current parking utilization. However, few of these systems provide information on the forecast utilization at specific hours - a process that requires the study of the competition between parking alternatives for the market share. This paper proposes a methodology for predicting real-time parking space availability in IPR architectures. This methodology consists of three subroutines to allocate simulated parking requests, estimate future departures, and forecast parking availability. Parking requests are allocated iteratively using an aggregated approach as a function of simulated drivers’ preferences, and parking availability. This approach is based on a calibrated discrete choice model for selecting parking alternatives. A numerical comparison between a one-by-one simulation-based forecast and the proposed aggregated approach indicates that no significant discrepancies exists, validating and suggesting the use of the less time consuming proposed aggregated methodology. Results obtained from contrasting predictions with real data yielded small average error availabilities. The forecast improves as the system registers arrivals and departures. Thus, the forecast is adequate for potential distribution in real-time using different media such as Internet, navigation systems, cell phones or GIS.     

Considering Prework on Industrial Projects

Prefabrication, preassembly, modularization, and off-site fabrication, collectively termed as prework have become more viable with recent advances in design and information technologies. These construction methods offer a substantial opportunity to improve project performance when circumstances merit. Successful implementation of these methods on a particular project requires systematic analysis and early decision making based on specific factors of the project. This paper identifies those factors influencing decisions on the use of prework, and current industry practices for evaluating the applicability of prework on industrial projects. It then presents a decision framework to assist industry practitioners with evaluating the applicability of prework on their project, and describes a computerized tool to aid project teams in the decision-making process. The developed framework and tool are useful and effective in the decision-making process, and easy to use, as validated by practitioners in the industry.     

On the secure implementation of security protocols

We consider the problem of implementing a security protocol in such a manner that secrecy of sensitive data is not jeopardized. Implementation is assumed to take place in the context of an API that provides standard cryptography and communication services. Given a dependency specification, stating how API methods can produce and consume secret information, we propose an information flow property based on the idea of invariance under perturbation, relating observable changes in output to corresponding changes in input. Besides the information flow condition itself, the main contributions of the paper are results relating the admissibility property to a direct flow property in the special case of programs which branch on secrets only in cases permitted by the dependency rules. These results are used to derive an unwinding theorem, reducing a behavioural correctness check (strong bisimulation) to an invariant.