The balanced traveling salesmanproblem

In this paper we introduce the balanced traveling salesman problem (BTSP), which can be used to model optimization problems where equitable distribution of resources are important. BTSP is obviously NP-hard. Efficient heuristic algorithms are presented to solve the problem along with extensive computational results using benchmark problems from TSPLIB and random instances. Our algorithms produced provably optimal solutions for several test instances. Application of the model in solving the nozzle guide vane assembly problem related to the maintenance of aircraft engines is also discussed.     

信息安全视角下的C~4ISR系统耦合性研究

针对以耦合率为指标之一的C4ISR系统体系结构设计合理性验证评估问题,从功能系统间交互信息的安全性需求出发,通过推理揭示出密钥关系的耦合本质,进而提出并分析了密钥关联耦合的概念及其属性。给出了密钥关联耦合的定量度量方法,采用该方法能在体系结构设计结束后就实施并完成度量,且不必考虑密码算法及密钥长度等细节问题。利用Briand等人提出的准则证明了度量方法的科学性与合理性,并结合案例说明了度量方法的可行性与易操作性。     

Software execution processes as an evolving complex network

Inspired by the surprising discovery of several recurring structures in various complex networks, in recent years a number of related works treated software systems as a complex network and found that software systems might expose the small-world effects and follow scale-free degree distributions. Different from the research perspectives adopted in these works, the work presented in this paper treats software execution processes as an evolving complex network for the first time. The concept of software mirror graph is introduced as a new model of complex networks to incorporate the dynamic information of software behavior. The experimentation paradigm with statistical repeatability was applied to three distinct subject programs to conduct several software experiments. The corresponding experimental results are analyzed by treating the software execution processes as an evolving directed topological graph as well as an evolving software mirror graph. This results in several new findings. While the software execution processes may demonstrate as a small-world complex network in the topological sense, they no longer expose the small-world effects in the temporal sense. Further, the degree distributions of the software execution processes may follow a power law. However, they may also follow an exponential function or a piecewise power law.     

A unified and flexible solution for integrating CRL and OCSP into PKI applications

Public key certificates (PKCs) are used nowadays in several security protocols and applications, so as to secure data exchange via transport layer security channels, or to protect data at the application level by means of digital signatures. However, many security applications often fail to manage properly the PKCs, in particular when checking their validity status. These failures are partly due to the lack of experience (or training) of the users who configure these applications or protocols, and partly due to the scarce support offered by some common cryptographic libraries to the application developers. This paper describes the design and implementation of a light middleware dealing with certificate validation in a unified way. Our middleware exploits on one side the libraries that have already been defined or implemented for certificate validation, and it constructs a thin layer, which provides flexibility and security features to the upper layer applications. In our current approach, this layer boasts an integrated approach to support various certificate revocation mechanisms, it protects the applications from some common security attacks, and offers several configuration and performance options to the programmers and to the end users. We describe the architecture of this approach as well as its practical implementation in the form of a library based on the famous OpenSSL security library, and that can be easily integrated with other certificate‐aware security applications. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Methods for evaluating volunteers’ contributions in a deforestation detection citizen science project

Today, due to the availability of free remote sensing data, efficient algorithms for image classification and increased connectivity and computing power, together with international policy initiatives, such as the United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD), more and more countries are investing in their own national forest monitoring schemes. However, tropical forests remain under threat worldwide. Recently, a citizen science project that enables citizens around the globe to be involved in forest monitoring tasks has been proposed, called “ForestWatchers” (www.forestwatchers.net). Its main goal is to allow volunteers (many of them with no scientific training) around the globe, with their own smartphones, tablets and notebooks, review satellite images of forested regions and confirm whether automatic assignments of forested and deforested regions are correct. Inspected images are then sent to a central database where the results are integrated to generate up-to-date deforestation maps. This approach offers a low-cost way to both strengthen the scientific infrastructure and engage members of the public in science. Here, we describe the methods developed within the scope of the ForestWatchers project to assess the volunteers’ performance. These tools have been evaluated with data of two of the project’s preliminary tasks. The first, called “BestTile”, asks volunteers to select which of several images of the same area has the least cloud cover, while in the second, called “Deforestation”, volunteers draw polygons on satellite images delimiting areas they believe have been deforested. The results from more than 500 volunteers show that using simple statistical tests, it is possible to achieve a triple goal: to increase the overall efficiency of the data collecting tasks by reducing the required number of volunteers per task, to identify malicious behavior and outliers, and to motivate volunteers to continue their contributions.     

A rule‐based approach to detect and prevent inconsistency in the domain‐engineering process

A medium‐sized domain‐engineering process can contain thousands of features that all have constraint dependency rules between them. Therefore, the validation of the content of domain‐engineering process is vital to produce high‐quality software products. However, it is not feasible to do this manually. This paper aims to improve the quality of the software products generated by the domain‐engineering process by ensuring the validity of the results of that process. We propose rules for two operations: inconsistency detection and inconsistency prevention. We introduce first‐order logic (FOL) rules to detect three types of inconsistency and prevent the direct inconsistency in the domain‐engineering process. Developing FOL rules to detect and prevent inconsistency in the domain‐engineering process directly without the need to the configuration process is our main contribution. We performed some experiments to test the scalability and applicability of our approach on domain‐engineered software product lines containing 1000 assets to 20000 assets. The results show that our approach is scalable and could be utilized to improve the domain‐engineering process.     

Predictive iterative learning control with experimental validation

This paper develops an iterative learning control law that exploits recent results in the area of predictive repetitive control where a priori information about the characteristics of the reference signal is embedded in the control law using the internal model principle. The control law is based on receding horizon control and Laguerre functions can be used to parameterize the future control trajectory if required. Error convergence of the resulting controlled system is analyzed. To evaluate the performance of the design, including comparative aspects, simulation results from a chemical process control problem and supporting experimental results from application to a robot with two inputs and two outputs are given.     

独立学院《嵌入式系统》实验及实践教学探索

《嵌入式系统》课程是一门侧重实践和应用的课程,注重培养学生的实际动手能力。分析《嵌入式系统》课程的特点,指出实验及实践教学在其中的重要性,同时结合实际教学工作,探讨嵌入式实验及实践教学体系的建设,并给出具体的实验和实践教学方案。     

浅谈信息化环境下计算机技术实验室的教育教学管理

深化实验室信息建设对高校创新人才的培养至关重要,计算机管理技术的运用,对构建实验室实践教育教学体系更加趋向科学化。结合多年来进行计算机实验室信息化的工作。介绍利用计算机技术进行实验室教学管理、组织实验教学的方式,希望能为高校机房实验室实践教学工作提供行之有效的方式。     

关于仿真模型验证

本文对国内外仿真模型的发展进行了述评,陈述了仿真模型验证的定义和有关概念,提出了模型验证的区间假设检验法,介绍了自相关函数检验法。