Efficient retrieval of replicated data

Declustering is a common technique used to reduce query response times. Data is declustered over multiple disks and query retrieval can be parallelized. Most of the research on declustering is targeted at spatial range queries and investigates schemes with low additive error. Recently, declustering using replication has been proposed to reduce the additive overhead. Replication significantly reduces retrieval cost of arbitrary queries. In this paper, we propose a disk allocation and retrieval mechanism for arbitrary queries based on design theory. Using the proposed c-copy replicated declustering scheme, buckets can be retrieved using at most k disk accesses. Retrieval algorithm is very efficient and is asymptotically optimal with complexity for a query Q. In addition to the deterministic worst-case bound and efficient retrieval, proposed algorithm handles nonuniform data, high dimensions, supports incremental declustering and has good fault-tolerance property. Experimental results show the feasibility of the algorithm. Recommended by: Sunil Prabhakar     

基于模糊理论的地面三维目标识别方法

本文就模糊理论在模式识别领域中的应用 ,对地面三维目标进行模糊模式识别的实现做了一些研究工作 .利用成熟的二维图像识别技术与多对一模型和目标类型建库方法的结合 ,完成对三维目标的识别     

Using genetic algorithms for early schedulability analysis and stress testing in real-time systems

Reactive real-time systems have to react to external events within time constraints: Triggered tasks must execute within deadlines. It is therefore important for the designers of such systems to analyze the schedulability of tasks during the design process, as well as to test the system's response time to events in an effective manner once it is implemented. This article explores the use of genetic algorithms to provide automated support for both tasks. Our main objective is then to automate, based on the system task architecture, the derivation of test cases that maximize the chances of critical deadline misses within the system; we refer to this testing activity as stress testing. A second objective is to enable an early but realistic analysis of tasks' schedulability at design time. We have developed a specific solution based on genetic algorithms and implemented it in a tool. Case studies were run and results show that the tool (1) is effective at identifying test cases that will likely stress the system to such an extent that some tasks may miss deadlines, (2) can identify situations that were deemed to be schedulable based on standard schedulability analysis but that, nevertheless, exhibit deadline misses.

FLASK-SG: A program to compute chemical equilibria in metamorphic petrology

Chemical equilibrium calculation program for metamorphic petrology, FLASK-SG, was written for Unix variants (Linux, IRIX, Tru64 UNIX). It is also ported to Windows 95/98. The user specifies a temperature, pressure, and substance amounts (in moles of any chemical formula in C–H–O–Si–Al–Ti–Fe–Mn–Mg–Ca–Na–K system) to this program, then it calculates the stable mineral assemblage, mineral amounts, and gas composition under the given conditions using Gibbs free energy minimization method with the Holland and Powell (1990) data set. Searching algorithm for the stable mineral assemblage is the Metropolis Monte Carlo method. The coding language is C++, and experimental object oriented programming style is adopted to make the main program part as a class library. Model-dependent functions such as fugacity coefficients and activities are implemented as virtual methods of the “systems” class, so they can be easily changed as methods of inherited class from the “systems” class. These characteristics are aimed for a future “simulation kit”.     

Dynamical sources in information theory: Fundamental intervals and word prefixes

A quite general model of source that comes from dynamical systems theory is introduced. Within this model, some basic problems of algorithmic information theory contexts are analysed. The main tool is a new object, the generalized Ruelle operator, which can be viewed as a “generating” operator for fundamental intervals (associated to information sharing common prefixes). Its dominant spectral objects are linked with important parameters of the source, such as the entropy, and play a central rôle in all the results.     

Experimenting with Isabelle in ZF set theory

The theorem prover Isabelle has been used to axiomatise ZF set theory with natural deduction and to prove a number of theorems concerning functions. In particular, the well-founded recursion theorem has been derived, allowing the definition of functions over recursive types (such as the length and the append functions for lists). The theory of functions has been developed sufficiently within ZF to include PP, the theory of continuous functions forming the basis of LCF. Most of the theorems have been derived using backward proofs, with a small amount of automation.The work has been carried out at the Computer Laboratory of the University of Cambridge.     

Towards the implementation of text and discourse theory in computer-assisted textual analysis

Humanities computing (HC) has failed to integrate into its practices many of the key theoretical elements of contemporary text and discourse theory. This has in turn contributed to the marginalization of HC in research and teaching. Outdated theoretical models must be abandoned in order to develop a critical discourse based on the insights of HC. HC projects remain far too attached to micro-analyses and have not developed the theoretical and methodological tools necessary to undertake systemic macro-analyses on the level of discourse. Given that texts are a mixture of determinate and dynamic systems, recent developments in chaos theory may be of help in modelling the interrelationship of these elements at discourse level.Donald Bruce is Associate Professor of Romance Languages at the University of Alberta. His research interests include literary theory, XIXth century French literature, science and literature, and translation. He recently edited an issue ofRecherches Sémiotiques/Semiotic Inquiry on Literature and Ideology and is presently working on a project entitled,The Socio-semiotic Nexus: Jules Vallès and the Discourse of the Commune.     

On the small-scale dynamical behavior of lattice BGK and lattice Boltzmann schemes

In this paper, we report some comparative simulations between lattice BGK and lattice Bolzmann schemes for two-dimensional fluid flows. A quantitative assessment of the validity of the lattice BGK and lattice Bolzmann schemes is presented for the two-dimensional weakly compressibleKolmogorov flow. We use this flow to study the difference of the two schemes at small scales. A lowReynolds (R _e 300) number simulation shows the almost identical energy spectra for both schemes except for the small-scale dynamics of lattice Bolzmann which is more noisy. Because of the intrinsic difficulties of nonlinear stability analysis, we use numerical simulations to investigate which scheme is more stable. It turns out the lattice BGK is more stable. It turns out the lattice BGK is more robust than lattice Bolzmann by increasing theReynolds numbers. Detailed comparison with other methods (e.g., spectral method) remains to be done in the near future.