OpenRaiser/Intern-Atlas huggingface dataset:
An Introduction to Adjoints and Output Error Estimation in Computational Fluid Dynamics
Venue: arXiv cs.CE 2017
Year: 2017

In recent years, the use of adjoint vectors in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has seen a dramatic rise. Their utility in numerous applications, including design optimization, data assimilation, and mesh adaptation has sparked the interest of both researchers and practitioners alike. In many of these fields, the concept of an adjoint is explained differently, with various notations and motivations employed. Further complicating matters is the existence of two seemingly different types of adjoints -- "continuous" and "discrete" -- as well as the more formal definition of adjoint operators employed in linear algebra and functional analysis. These issues can make the fundamental concept of an adjoint difficult to pin down. In these notes, we hope to clarify some of the ideas surrounding adjoint vectors and to provide a useful reference for both continuous and discrete adjoints alike. In particular, we focus on the use of adjoints within the context of output-based mesh adaptation, where the goal is to achieve accuracy in a particular quantity (or "output") of interest by performing targeted adaptation of the computational mesh. While this is our application of interest, the ideas discussed here apply directly to design optimization, data assimilation, and many other fields where adjoints are employed.
A text-independent speaker verification model: A comparative analysis
Venue: arXiv cs.SD 2017
Year: 2017

The most pressing challenge in the field of voice biometrics is selecting the most efficient technique of speaker recognition. Every individual's voice is peculiar, factors like physical differences in vocal organs, accent and pronunciation contributes to the problem's complexity. In this paper, we explore the various methods available in each block in the process of speaker recognition with the objective to identify best of techniques that could be used to get precise results. We study the results on text independent corpora. We use MFCC (Melfrequency cepstral coefficient), LPCC (linear predictive cepstral coefficient) and PLP (perceptual linear prediction) algorithms for feature extraction, PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and tSNE for dimensionality reduction and SVM (Support Vector Machine), feed forward, nearest neighbor and decision tree algorithms for classification block in speaker recognition system and comparatively analyze each block to determine the best technique
Temporal Attention augmented Bilinear Network for Financial Time-Series Data Analysis
Venue: arXiv cs.CE 2017
Year: 2017

Financial time-series forecasting has long been a challenging problem because of the inherently noisy and stochastic nature of the market. In the High-Frequency Trading (HFT), forecasting for trading purposes is even a more challenging task since an automated inference system is required to be both accurate and fast. In this paper, we propose a neural network layer architecture that incorporates the idea of bilinear projection as well as an attention mechanism that enables the layer to detect and focus on crucial temporal information. The resulting network is highly interpretable, given its ability to highlight the importance and contribution of each temporal instance, thus allowing further analysis on the time instances of interest. Our experiments in a large-scale Limit Order Book (LOB) dataset show that a two-hidden-layer network utilizing our proposed layer outperforms by a large margin all existing state-of-the-art results coming from much deeper architectures while requiring far fewer computations.
Design of Polar Codes with Single and Multi-Carrier Modulation on Impulsive Noise Channels using Density Evolution
Venue: arXiv cs.IT 2017
Year: 2017

In this paper, density evolution-based construction methods to design good polar codes on impulsive noise channels for single-carrier and multi-carrier systems are proposed and evaluated. For a single-carrier system, the tight bound of the block error probability (BLEP) is derived by applying density evolution and the performance of the proposed construction methods are compared. For the multi-carrier system employing orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing, the accurate BLEP estimation is not feasible so a tight lower bound on the BLEP for polar codes is derived by assuming the noise on each sub-carrier is Gaussian. The results show that the lower bound becomes tighter as the number of carriers increases.
NEURAghe: Exploiting CPU-FPGA Synergies for Efficient and Flexible CNN Inference Acceleration on Zynq SoCs
Venue: arXiv cs.NE 2017
Year: 2017

Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) obtain outstanding results in tasks that require human-level understanding of data, like image or speech recognition. However, their computational load is significant, motivating the development of CNN-specialized accelerators. This work presents NEURAghe, a flexible and efficient hardware/software solution for the acceleration of CNNs on Zynq SoCs. NEURAghe leverages the synergistic usage of Zynq ARM cores and of a powerful and flexible Convolution-Specific Processor deployed on the reconfigurable logic. The Convolution-Specific Processor embeds both a convolution engine and a programmable soft core, releasing the ARM processors from most of the supervision duties and allowing the accelerator to be controlled by software at an ultra-fine granularity. This methodology opens the way for cooperative heterogeneous computing: while the accelerator takes care of the bulk of the CNN workload, the ARM cores can seamlessly execute hard-to-accelerate parts of the computational graph, taking advantage of the NEON vector engines to further speed up computation. Through the companion NeuDNN SW stack, NEURAghe supports end-to-end CNN-based classification with a peak performance of 169 Gops/s, and an energy efficiency of 17 Gops/W. Thanks to our heterogeneous computing model, our platform improves upon the state-of-the-art, achieving a frame rate of 5.5 fps on the end-to-end execution of VGG-16, and 6.6 fps on ResNet-18.
Chord Generation from Symbolic Melody Using BLSTM Networks
Venue: arXiv cs.SD 2017
Year: 2017

Generating a chord progression from a monophonic melody is a challenging problem because a chord progression requires a series of layered notes played simultaneously. This paper presents a novel method of generating chord sequences from a symbolic melody using bidirectional long short-term memory (BLSTM) networks trained on a lead sheet database. To this end, a group of feature vectors composed of 12 semitones is extracted from the notes in each bar of monophonic melodies. In order to ensure that the data shares uniform key and duration characteristics, the key and the time signatures of the vectors are normalized. The BLSTM networks then learn from the data to incorporate the temporal dependencies to produce a chord progression. Both quantitative and qualitative evaluations are conducted by comparing the proposed method with the conventional HMM and DNN-HMM based approaches. Proposed model achieves 23.8% and 11.4% performance increase from the other models, respectively. User studies further confirm that the chord sequences generated by the proposed method are preferred by listeners.
The mind as a computational system
Venue: arXiv cs.AI 2017
Year: 2017

The present document is an excerpt of an essay that I wrote as part of my application material to graduate school in Computer Science (with a focus on Artificial Intelligence), in 1986. I was not invited by any of the schools that received it, so I became a theoretical physicist instead. The essay's full title was "Some Topics in Philosophy and Computer Science". I am making this text (unchanged from 1985, preserving the typesetting as much as possible) available now in memory of Jerry Fodor, whose writings had influenced me significantly at the time (even though I did not always agree).
Mixed-precision training of deep neural networks using computational memory
Venue: arXiv cs.ET 2017
Year: 2017

Deep neural networks have revolutionized the field of machine learning by providing unprecedented human-like performance in solving many real-world problems such as image and speech recognition. Training of large DNNs, however, is a computationally intensive task, and this necessitates the development of novel computing architectures targeting this application. A computational memory unit where resistive memory devices are organized in crossbar arrays can be used to locally store the synaptic weights in their conductance states. The expensive multiply accumulate operations can be performed in place using Kirchhoff's circuit laws in a non-von Neumann manner. However, a key challenge remains the inability to alter the conductance states of the devices in a reliable manner during the weight update process. We propose a mixed-precision architecture that combines a computational memory unit storing the synaptic weights with a digital processing unit and an additional memory unit accumulating weight updates in high precision. The new architecture delivers classification accuracies comparable to those of floating-point implementations without being constrained by challenges associated with the non-ideal weight update characteristics of emerging resistive memories. A two layer neural network in which the computational memory unit is realized using non-linear stochastic models of phase-change memory devices achieves a test accuracy of 97.40% on the MNIST handwritten digit classification problem.
On the Real-time Vehicle Placement Problem
Venue: arXiv cs.AI 2017
Year: 2017

Motivated by ride-sharing platforms' efforts to reduce their riders' wait times for a vehicle, this paper introduces a novel problem of placing vehicles to fulfill real-time pickup requests in a spatially and temporally changing environment. The real-time nature of this problem makes it fundamentally different from other placement and scheduling problems, as it requires not only real-time placement decisions but also handling real-time request dynamics, which are influenced by human mobility patterns. We use a dataset of ten million ride requests from four major U.S. cities to show that the requests exhibit significant self-similarity. We then propose distributed online learning algorithms for the real-time vehicle placement problem and bound their expected performance under this observed self-similarity.
Development of Statewide AADT Estimation Model from Short-Term Counts: A Comparative Study for South Carolina
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2017
Year: 2017

Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) is an important parameter used in traffic engineering analysis. Departments of Transportation (DOTs) continually collect traffic count using both permanent count stations (i.e., Automatic Traffic Recorders or ATRs) and temporary short-term count stations. In South Carolina, 87% of the ATRs are located on interstates and arterial highways. For most secondary highways (i.e., collectors and local roads), AADT is estimated based on short-term counts. This paper develops AADT estimation models for different roadway functional classes with two machine learning techniques: Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Support Vector Regression (SVR). The models aim to predict AADT from short-term counts. The results are first compared against each other to identify the best model. Then, the results of the best model are compared against a regression method and factor-based method. The comparison reveals the superiority of SVR for AADT estimation for different roadway functional classes over all other methods. Among all developed models for different functional roadway classes, the SVR-based model shows a minimum root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.22 and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 11.3% for the interstate/expressway functional class. This model also shows a higher R-squared value compared to the traditional factor-based model and regression model. SVR models are validated for each roadway functional class using the 2016 ATR data and selected short-term count data collected by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT). The validation results show that the SVR-based AADT estimation models can be used by the SCDOT as a reliable option to predict AADT from the short-term counts.
Learning User Intent from Action Sequences on Interactive Systems
Venue: arXiv cs.AI 2017
Year: 2017

Interactive systems have taken over the web and mobile space with increasing participation from users. Applications across every marketing domain can now be accessed through mobile or web where users can directly perform certain actions and reach a desired outcome. Actions of user on a system, though, can be representative of a certain intent. Ability to learn this intent through user's actions can help draw certain insight into the behavior of users on a system. In this paper, we present models to optimize interactive systems by learning and analyzing user intent through their actions on the system. We present a four phased model that uses time-series of interaction actions sequentially using a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) based sequence learning system that helps build a model for intent recognition. Our system then provides an objective specific maximization followed by analysis and contrasting methods in order to identify spaces of improvement in the interaction system. We discuss deployment scenarios for such a system and present results from evaluation on an online marketplace using user clickstream data.
#anorexia, #anarexia, #anarexyia: Characterizing Online Community Practices with Orthographic Variation
Venue: arXiv cs.CL 2017
Year: 2017

Distinctive linguistic practices help communities build solidarity and differentiate themselves from outsiders. In an online community, one such practice is variation in orthography, which includes spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Using a dataset of over two million Instagram posts, we investigate orthographic variation in a community that shares pro-eating disorder (pro-ED) content. We find that not only does orthographic variation grow more frequent over time, it also becomes more profound or deep, with variants becoming increasingly distant from the original: as, for example, #anarexyia is more distant than #anarexia from the original spelling #anorexia. These changes are driven by newcomers, who adopt the most extreme linguistic practices as they enter the community. Moreover, this behavior correlates with engagement: the newcomers who adopt deeper orthographic variants tend to remain active for longer in the community, and the posts that contain deeper variation receive more positive feedback in the form of "likes." Previous work has linked community membership change with language change, and our work casts this connection in a new light, with newcomers driving an evolving practice, rather than adapting to it. We also demonstrate the utility of orthographic variation as a new lens to study sociolinguistic change in online communities, particularly when the change results from an exogenous force such as a content ban.
Counter Simulations via Higher Order Quantifier Elimination: a preliminary report
Venue: arXiv cs.LO 2017
Year: 2017

Quite often, verification tasks for distributed systems are accomplished via counter abstractions. Such abstractions can sometimes be justified via simulations and bisimulations. In this work, we supply logical foundations to this practice, by a specifically designed technique for second order quantifier elimination. Our method, once applied to specifications of verification problems for parameterized distributed systems, produces integer variables systems that are ready to be model-checked by current SMT-based tools. We demonstrate the feasibility of the approach with a prototype implementation and first experiments.
O-CNN: Octree-based Convolutional Neural Networks for 3D Shape Analysis
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2017
Year: 2017

We present O-CNN, an Octree-based Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for 3D shape analysis. Built upon the octree representation of 3D shapes, our method takes the average normal vectors of a 3D model sampled in the finest leaf octants as input and performs 3D CNN operations on the octants occupied by the 3D shape surface. We design a novel octree data structure to efficiently store the octant information and CNN features into the graphics memory and execute the entire O-CNN training and evaluation on the GPU. O-CNN supports various CNN structures and works for 3D shapes in different representations. By restraining the computations on the octants occupied by 3D surfaces, the memory and computational costs of the O-CNN grow quadratically as the depth of the octree increases, which makes the 3D CNN feasible for high-resolution 3D models. We compare the performance of the O-CNN with other existing 3D CNN solutions and demonstrate the efficiency and efficacy of O-CNN in three shape analysis tasks, including object classification, shape retrieval, and shape segmentation.
G-CORE: A Core for Future Graph Query Languages
Venue: arXiv cs.DB 2017
Year: 2017

We report on a community effort between industry and academia to shape the future of graph query languages. We argue that existing graph database management systems should consider supporting a query language with two key characteristics. First, it should be composable, meaning, that graphs are the input and the output of queries. Second, the graph query language should treat paths as first-class citizens. Our result is G-CORE, a powerful graph query language design that fulfills these goals, and strikes a careful balance between path query expressivity and evaluation complexity.
Deep Learning for automatic sale receipt understanding
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2017
Year: 2017

As a general rule, data analytics are now mandatory for companies. Scanned document analysis brings additional challenges introduced by paper damages and scanning quality.In an industrial context, this work focuses on the automatic understanding of sale receipts which enable access to essential and accurate consumption statistics. Given an image acquired with a smart-phone, the proposed work mainly focuses on the first steps of the full tool chain which aims at providing essential information such as the store brand, purchased products and related prices with the highest possible confidence. To get this high confidence level, even if scanning is not perfectly controlled, we propose a double check processing tool-chain using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNNs) on one hand and more classical image and text processings on another hand.The originality of this work relates in this double check processing and in the joint use of DCNNs for different applications and text analysis.
Revisiting concurrent separation logic
Venue: arXiv cs.LO 2017
Year: 2017

We present a new soundness proof of Concurrent Separation Logic (CSL) based on a structural operational semantics (SOS). We build on two previous proofs and develop new auxiliary notions to achieve the goal. One uses a denotational semantics (based on traces). The other is based on SOS, but was obtained only for a fragment of the logic - the Disjoint CSL - which disallows modifying shared variables between concurrent threads. In this work, we lift such a restriction, proving the soundness of full CSL with respect to a SOS. Thus contributing to the development of tools able of ensuring the correctness of realistic concurrent programs. Moreover, given that we used SOS, such tools can be well-integrated in programming environments and even incorporated in compilers.
Keypoint-based object tracking and localization using networks of low-power embedded smart cameras
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2017
Year: 2017

Object tracking and localization is a complex task that typically requires processing power beyond the capabilities of low-power embedded cameras. This paper presents a new approach to real-time object tracking and localization using multi-view binary keypoints descriptor. The proposed approach offers a compromise between processing power, accuracy and networking bandwidth and has been tested using multiple distributed low-power smart cameras. Additionally, multiple optimization techniques are presented to improve the performance of the keypoints descriptor for low-power embedded systems.
The Role of Compliance in Heterogeneous Interacting Agents: Data from Observations
Venue: arXiv cs.MA 2017
Year: 2017

The dynamics of agent-based systems provide a framework to face the complexity of pedestrian-vehicle interactions in future cities, in which the compliance to traffic norms plays a fundamental role. The data of an observation performed at a non-signalized intersection are presented to provide useful insights for supporting the future development of agent-based models. Results focus on drivers' compliance to crossing pedestrians, describing potentially conflictual interactions among heterogeneous agents. The discussion closes with the potential applications of the collected data set for modelling the phenomenon.
DHYMON: a Continuous Decentralized Hybrid Monitoring Architecture for MANETs
Venue: arXiv cs.NI 2017
Year: 2017

We introduce a novel decentralized monitoring algorithm for mobile ad-hoc networks. This algorithm is a combination of gossip-based and tree-based approaches. Its main feature is on multi root nodes selection which provides an opportunity to obtain more accurate results as it maximizes the coverage of the network. Our proposal relies on a thorough defined algorithm and its efficient and effective implementation. The algorithm is divided in two main parts that are its query procedure and its disseminate procedure. To assess different parameters such as accuracy and convergence time, we conducted experiments with an in-house emulated test bed based on Docker and NS3. To show the effectiveness and scalability of our proposal, we conduct intensive emulations that demonstrate very promising results regarding the gain of accuracy.
Fuzzy-Based Dialectical Non-Supervised Image Classification and Clustering
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2017
Year: 2017

The materialist dialectical method is a philosophical investigative method to analyze aspects of reality. These aspects are viewed as complex processes composed by basic units named poles, which interact with each other. Dialectics has experienced considerable progress in the 19th century, with Hegel's dialectics and, in the 20th century, with the works of Marx, Engels, and Gramsci, in Philosophy and Economics. The movement of poles through their contradictions is viewed as a dynamic process with intertwined phases of evolution and revolutionary crisis. In order to build a computational process based on dialectics, the interaction between poles can be modeled using fuzzy membership functions. Based on this assumption, we introduce the Objective Dialectical Classifier (ODC), a non-supervised map for classification based on materialist dialectics and designed as an extension of fuzzy c-means classifier. As a case study, we used ODC to classify 181 magnetic resonance synthetic multispectral images composed by proton density, $T_1$- and $T_2$-weighted synthetic brain images. Comparing ODC to k-means, fuzzy c-means, and Kohonen's self-organized maps, concerning with image fidelity indexes as estimatives of quantization distortion, we proved that ODC can reach almost the same quantization performance as optimal non-supervised classifiers like Kohonen's self-organized maps.