bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
APL graphics for learning mathematics
Authors: Kikkawa M.
Published: January 2007

Since 1972, math-teachers at Shokei Jogakuin Senior High School have been using computers in their classes. In 1982, they changed from FORTRAN to APL, because APL had more possibilities for enriching math classes. At present, they are using APL Graphics to help students grasp abstract concepts in Mathematics.

This paper discusses the use of APL Graphics in the classroom by both teachers and students, and the evaluation of its value in teaching.
Incremental systems development-a case study
Authors: Landherr P.
Published: January 2007

When Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken started trading bond options a pronounced need for a computerized trading support system arose. As the market changed, the demands on the system changed too, forcing it to evolve in several successive steps. The system described went through being an arbitrage system, a system for price quoting and ended up as a bona fide trading system, doing all of the above and keeping track of all trading, including multiple concurrent users and portfolios
Achievement certificates from graphics environment
Authors: Olsen T. M.
Published: January 2007

Karsten Manufacturing Corporation issues a “Certificate of Hole in One” (CHIO) to golfers who ace with PING (trademark) equipment. Formerly done manually, the certificate is now plotted automatically in less than two minutes, unattended, with two-color English Gothic and simplex italic Roman fonts, and a digitized signature, on gilded, preprinted, parchment forms. The plot file is produced from international input data received orally by telephone, or on tape from the “Golf Digest” clearing house. The APL2 application was implemented as an extension of the IBM GIAM graphics language and employs several new commands for loading and manipulating graphic characters from the Hershey font library. The paper explains various input panels and graphic displays. Technical obstacles including acceptable interactive and batch running-time-per-certificate are described, along with their solution. The method includes traditional MIS techniques and shows how these are applied in a production system.

This is the story of how the CHIO project evolved and how we learned by doing.
Iterative scaling of marks using APL-a case study
Authors: Petocz P.
Published: January 2007

This paper presents a case study where APL was used successfully to tackle a problem that appeared to be quite complex. The work was carried out for the NSW Department of Technical and Further Education in 1985 and 1986, and is the subject of ongoing research at present.

A common problem in educational measurement is the comparison of scores obtained on different tests when the candidature for each test is not identical. Such a situation exists in NSW at the Higher School Certificate secondary school matriculation examinations. Different subjects attract candidatures of differing ability, yet it is important to calculate an aggregate mark as fairly as possible since it is used as a basis for selection into tertiary institutions. The iterative scaling procedure which has been used has been the subject of some controversy, caused in part by the fact that most people find it hard to understand exactly what is going on.

The Tertiary Preparation Certificate is a matriculation course offered by the NSW Department of TAFE and is designed to prepare mature-age students for tertiary study. The aggregate mark obtained in this course was required to be comparable to HSC aggregate marks, so the iterative scaling procedure was implemented using APL to process these marks.

The APL program has been used successfully during the previous two years on groups of up to 100 students. The algorithm is documented here for the first time in a form that is ready to be used by anyone with access to APL. There is discussion on the rationale and assumptions used in the calculations, and comments are made on the role that APL played in the whole process.
The compact display of arbitrary nested arrays
Authors: Rabenhorst D. A.
Published: January 2007

An enhanced array display function, upward compatible from the one supplied with APL2, is presented. It overcomes several difficulties involved with the display of very large or very deep nested arrays, and permits convenient examination of arrays which would otherwise overflow the screen or observation window. Sub-array replication and sub-array similarity in the displayed array are considered at every depth, and presented in a straightforward shorthand notation if invoked. Also, leaf detail is elided by general compaction, but only if it precludes a reasonable overall display size.
APL object transfer in a multi-APL site
Authors: van Eggelen H. F.
Published: January 2007

In order to transfer APL objects, workspaces and files between the different mainframes, minis and micros at the European Commission, two APL object transfer systems have been developed. One such system is based on using tapes and follows the Workspace Interchange Convention. This convention had to be extended since it does not handle generalized arrays and user-defined operators. The other system transmits data direct over the communication line. The STSC's supplied workspaces SERXFER and SERHOST have been used and modified to establish this. Since the Commission has several different APLs on its range of computers, some new approaches had to be developed, which are discussed in this paper.
32-bit CPU design with the 'AS888/'AS890
Authors: Laczko Frank , Myers Bob , Nawrocki Richard
Published: January 2007

Microprogramming and bit slice technology have made possible the development of powerful systems using flexible instructions sets and wide address/data buses to access more than one gigaword of physical main memory. This section discusses one design approach to such a system, using 'AS888 bit slice and 'AS890 microsequencer components.
An algorithm for global compaction of horizontal microprograms
Authors: Rao S. Upendra , Majundar A. K.
Published: January 2007

Compacting microoperations of a microprogram into horizontal microinstructions require an efficient global compaction algorithm. This paper describes a global compaction algorithm which is more practical than some of the existing techniques based on Tree compaction, Trace scheduling and generalized data dependency graph. The algorithm uses a local compaction technique in which the microoperation priority function is dynamically modified.
Preliminary information on SCAMP
Authors: Burgess G. S.
Published: January 2007

A general description of the salient feature of SCAMP (Scientific Computer and Modular Processer)
Parallel implementation of an efficient microcode compaction algorithm
Authors: Rao S. Upendra , Shattacharjee G. P. , Majumdar A. K.
Published: January 2007

A derivation of parallel implementation of an efficient microcode compaction algorithm has been described. The serial algorithm is decomposed into four schedules of computations. Parallelism within a schedule and between the schedules is examined. The time complexity of the parallel implementation is of O(n
2
) when O(n
3
processors are available. This initial attempt may motivate further investigations in designing efficient parallel algorithms for microcode compaction.
Emulators
Authors: Olangunju Amos O. , Borders Elvis
Published: January 2007

Microprogramming is a technique for implementing machine language instruction sets --it is critical in today's computer architectures and operating systems. An emulator is a set of microprograms that implements the architecture of one machine on another; microprogramming is often used in emulation to make one computer system appear as if it were another. This paper presents the architecture for a microprogrammed computer system, the VSEM. The simulated virtual computer system, its monitor and a simulated concurrent PASCAL are discussed. The usefulness of the VSEM, its monitor and the concurrent PASCAL as vehicles for instruction in systems programming is addressed.
A hypothetical computer to simulate microprogramming and conventional machine language
Authors: Sayers Jerry E. , Martin David E.
Published: January 2007

Microprogramming is not generally available to programmers because it may involve modification of a machine's native language. A hypothetical computer can provide a simulator for microprogramming projects and add considerably to one's understanding of the subject of microprogramming and the concept of a multilevel machine. The classical text,
Structured Computer Organization
by Andrew S. Tanenbaum, contains a design for such a hypothetical computer. This paper presents an implementation of this machine with a user interface to permit development of microprograms as well as development of programs at the conventional machine language programming level. The user interface is similar to that of MS-DOS's DEBUG program. In addition to providing the basis for projects in Computer Architecture and Computer Organization classes, the simulator is being used as a simplified hypothetical machine in a Systems Programming class for the development of assembler, linker, and loader projects.
Three medium-sized hypertexts on CD-ROM
Authors: Nielsen Jakob
Published: January 2007

A review of the Macintosh CD-ROM versions of
The Manhole
, the
Time Table of History
, and the
Electronic Whole Earth Catalog
with emphasis on their usability and their support of hypertext navigation. Based on the discussion of these hypertexts the following general principles are found to be useful for analyzing hypertext user interfaces: Navigational dimensions and their explicitness, directionality and literalness, landmarks, locational orientation, history lists, and backtrack mechanisms.
Performance pathways
Authors: Gunther N. J.
Published: January 2007

We review the status of some recent results in the performance analysis of computer systems which are intrinsically unstable due to the presence of more than one stable operating state. In particular, we consider bistable computer systems which possess
two
stable states: the typical operating point and an another stable point, concomitant with degraded system performance.
The Sachertorte algorithm and other antidotes to computer anxiety
Authors: Shore John
Published: January 2007

This is a remarkable and unusual book. You may find it to be an ideal present for some of your friends who are vague on what computers are all about. You may also find some interesting food for thought yourself. You should not expect to find anything deeply technical, although many of the examples will strike technical chords -- and indeed are technically motivated. The book is aimed primarily at the interested layman, along the lines of
The Tao of Physics, The Dancing Wu Li Masters,
and
Lives of a Cell.
I think that this book will actually be quite useful in increasing the general level of computer literacy -- an increasingly essential goal for our society. But even though it appears to be written at a relatively high level, it contains significant wisdom that should be totally absorbed and internalized by every software engineer -- regardless of for whom he/she is writing software and regardless of how widely used the interface may be.
GETTING THERE WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE 'THERE' IS: NAVIGATIONAL STRATEGIES IN A HYPERTEXT HELP SYSTEM
Authors: Campagnoni F. R. , Ehrlich Kate
Published: January 2007

Unlike traditional information retrieval systems in which users access information from large databases using boolean operations on keyword strings, users of a hypertext system are free to move between arbitrary nodes in the database by the simple click of a mouse button (See Conklin, 1987 for a major review of hypertext). This architecture encourages users to find information by browsing (Marchionini, 1987). However, in the absence of spatial cues, this method of search can easily lead users to become disoriented ("lost in hyperspace").
EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED EFFECTS OF COMPUTER MEDIA ON GROUP DECISION MAKING
Authors: Dubrovsky Vitaly , Kiesler Sara , Sethna Beheruz N.
Published: January 2007

During the past several years, a number of investigators have hypothesized that electronic mail and other computer-mediated communication technologies greatly attenuate social context cues (Hiltz and Turoff, 1978; Short, Williams, and Christie, 1976; Kiesler, Siegel, and McGuire, 1984). Equalization across status categories has been observed in studies of electronic communication in organizations (Sproull and Kiesler, 1986; Eveland and Bikson, 1988). The equalization phenomenon has been demonstrated in experiments showing that the distribution of discussion remarks was more equal when groups of peer members made decisions electronically than the same groups made decisions face-to-face (Siegel et al., 1986, McGuire et al., 1987; Weisband, 1989). However, no experimental test was made to examine the effect of electronic communication on preexisting differences in social status. The purpose of this study was to experimentally examine status equalization in computer-mediated group decision making.
COMPREHENSION OF PASCAL STATEMENTS BY NOVICE AND EXPERT PROGRAMMERS
Authors: Dyck Jennifer L. , Auernheimer Brent
Published: January 2007

The principles of cognitive psychology and human factors have been successfully applied to many aspects of human-computer interaction. Nevertheless, programming remains a difficult task. Researchers suggest that programming is a cognitively demanding task because of its inherent problem-solving nature (Nickerson, 1986; Anderson, 1985). Previous work has shown that comprehension of Basic statements depends on both the macrostructure and the microstructure of the statement (Dyck & Mayer, 1985).
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TASK-ORIENTED, MINIMAL CONTENT USER'S MANUAL
Authors: Gong Richard
Published: January 2007

The intuition that computer manuals are scorned and disregarded by computer users is difficult to dispute. Informal conversations with users reveal that they generally believe that manuals contribute little to their immediate tasks. They assert that the entire experience of trying to use a manual is not worth the trouble; the manual is often too lengthy, the desired information is often difficult to find, and the language is often difficult to understand, among other objections.
FRAGILITY IN EXPERTISE: A STUDY IN REACTIVE SCHEDULING
Authors: Huguenard Brian R. , Prietula Michael J. , Lerch F. Javier
Published: January 2007

Human expertise is a critical resource and will become increasingly so as society's tools and techniques for acquisition, creation, distribution, control, and management of information become more knowledge intensive. One claim, echoed by developers of expert systems, is that human expertise is
fragile
-- changes in the problem or problem context may result in dramatic performance degradations (Brown & Campione, 1984; Reed, Ernst & Banerji, 1974). Consequently, systems constructed from the knowledge of experts inherit this flaw and its ramifications. Although the concept of fragility has an intuitive appeal, few studies have been conducted to explicate the nature of this phenomena, that is, few studies have attempted to discover where and how such fragility is manifest. With this study we are beginning to explicate the nature of expert fragility. The plan of the reported study is to compare how experts and novices perform on a task that has been modified to degrade the performance of the expert to that of the novice, but still permits the behavior of the expert and novice to be investigated in detail.
USABILITY ISSUES RELATED TO MAPPING A COMMAND LANGUAGE ONTO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE PANELS
Authors: Isa Barbara S. , Krysiak Deborah A.
Published: January 2007

An increasing number of software applications provide both a command language interface and a panel interface. An important aspect of converting an existing command language interface to a panel interface is that of decomposing the command language so that it maps gracefully and intuitively onto the panels. In this poster session, the authors discussed the many design considerations addressed as the panel interface evolved from an early prototype to a coded product.
USING ELECTRONIC MAIL: THEMES ACROSS THREE USER INTERFACE PARADIGMS
Authors: Jones Sandy , Bock Geoffrey , Brassard Alana
Published: January 2007

Four specific themes - Visual Navigation, Organization, Integration, and Customization - arose from contextual interviews with 28 mail users of 3 interface paradigms: command line, menu, and direct manipulation. As the interface paradigm changed, the themes remained constant. These themes indicate domains of use that are fundamental to mail systems.
The standard factor
Authors: Billingsley Pat
Published: January 2007

This issue's standards column is focused on the new economic policies scheduled to take effect in Europe at the end of 1992, usually referred to in to as "EC92". As might be expected, I am particularly interested in the role standards are expected to play in regulating trade between nations inside and outside the European Community. There are, however, many other issues to consider, and I'm sure I've only scratched the surface here.
Video
Authors: Harrison Steve , Minneman Scott , Stults Bob , Weber Karon
Published: January 2007

Ideally, the following should have been presented in video form, but the submission requirements dictated printed text. The experience of the video itself would have conveyed the force of the argument we're making in a direct visceral way that the process of reading ultimately cannot.We use video to support design. By design, we (the Design and Media Spaces Area at Xerox PARC) mean the creation of the new, whether it is architecture, painting, or engineering. We believe that design is a social activity--the interactions of individuals within a group and the relation of groups to one another. Another way we express this point of view is to say design is the social construction of a technical reality. We seek to improve design processes by enabling better communications within the design process.
Reading on human factors in computer systems
Authors: Green Paul
Published: January 2007

For the last six years I have taught a course on Human Factors and Computer Systems at the University of Michigan (Industrial and Operations Engineering 436). The course is described in an article that appeared in
IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications
five years ago (Green, 1984). The course topics and assignments have not changed since then (though they have been refined), so the article is still accurate. I also wrote an article two years ago for this bulletin (Green, 1987) describing the course readings. Since then, there have been requests for the latest version of the reading list, both from practitioners and academicians. The reading list follows with along with a commentary.
Computer-human interface issues in the design of an intelligent workstation for scientific visualization
Authors: Williams Mariang G. , Smith Stuart , Pecelli Giampiero
Published: January 2007

The long-range goal of our research is to create an intelligent assistant for interactive scientific data visualization via both sight and sound. There are a variety of computer-human interface (CHI) issues that are unique to our approach to interactive visualization. It is upon these issues that we focus here. In this paper, we: (1) describe the approach to interactive visualization taken by the project which is the context of our work; (2) specify the CHI issues that are peculiar to this approach; (3) summarize the current capabilities of our workstation for performing human factors experiments; (4) describe the research plan we have developed for learning how to provide a user with intelligent assistance for dealing with those issues; (5) present a representative pilot study that has contributed useful information; (6) summarize the results of our pilot studies; and (7) discuss the direction of our future work. We do not claim to be solving the general case of how to provide intelligent assistance for scientific visualization. We do, however, expect that the progress we make in one visualization environment will contribute to understanding of the general case.
International user interfaces
Authors: Nielsen Jakob
Published: January 2007

At the CHI'90 panel on
Designing for International Use
I presented the figure at the bottom of this page as an example of how a translation can mess up a user interface which was quite good according to usability tests of the original.
PUMS and programmers
Authors: Clement Andrew , Mantei Marilyn
Published: January 2007

With scarcely a minute to spare the glorious programmer once again has been saved by a program. The time was becoming imminent when whole sets of undergraduates, graduate students, not to mention already-in-the-workplace programmers, would actually have to look at real users, listen to what they had to say and take them into account in their interface development.
A mathematical programming generator
Authors: Stohr Edward A.
Published: January 2007

This paper describes a mathematical programming generator that interprets problem statements written in the algebraic notation found in journal articles and text-books and outputs statements in the
MPS
format used by IBM's
MPSX
mathematical programming system. The system has been implemented in the APL programming language. Although originally designed for stand-alone use, it is currently being used as a component in an expert system that will help users formulate large linear programming models. The paper describes the syntax of the problem definition language and gives some illustrative examples. There are several unique features. First, the user can define objective function, constraint and right-hand-side coefficients as APL expressions. This leads to concise problem statements and also reduces data storage and processing requirements. Second, the system supports an integrated data base query language. Finally, there are a number of aids for model maintenance and sensitivity analysis. The last section of the paper describes the use of
MPGEN
in the expert system context.
Some reflections on the circle functions
Authors: Leeten G.
Published: January 2007

In APL the circle functions are a little bit special. They are used to fulfil different functions. In APL2 this is extended to handle the complex numbers. This part is regarded here in more detail and some remarks seem to be in place here to avoid uncontrolled use. A kind of system in "typing" is proposed here to stay open even to other possible enhancements to APL. It may be a hint for the possible future inclusion of the complex numbers in APL2/PC.
Brackets are a PL's best friend
Authors: Holmes N.
Published: January 2007

Bracket notation has been widely criticized, recently at APL86, as inconsistent and anomalous, and operators and functions have been developed in the new APLs to wipe outat least some uses of brackets. Although Adin Falkoff has valiantly tried to defend them (and Jon McGrew apologetically), brackets clearly need all the friends they can get.This paper has been written to point out again that brackets have more virtues than vices, that they represent a valuable notational convenience that has not yet been fully exploited, and that they could well be exploited to stand for another component of APL on a par with functions and operators.
Memo
Authors: Geyer-Schulz Andreas
Published: January 2007

MEMO is an APL2 operator which implements the strategy of memoizing function values for all APL2 functions free from all side-effects without global variables. Memoizing function values means substitution of function execution by table lookup on repetitive function calls with the same arguments. MEMO maps the set of all APL2 functions free from all side-effects without global variables to the (derived) set of memoizing APL2 functions. MEMO allows the programmer to benefit from the speed advantage of memoized functions while still maintaining a precise and clear code. Moreover, it is possible to perform this speed optimization automatically.
Three way logic in APL
Authors: Jizba Zdenek V.
Published: January 2007

True - false logic can be expanded to include a neutral "do not know" option. New primitive functions replace
AND, OR
and
NOT
in such a way as to generalize the rules of logic. Primitive functions in APL support this extension with ease. Further generalizations to multilevel logic are also possible.
When bears are blue and bulls are red
Authors: Alvord Linda , Traberman Tama
Published: January 2007

Analysts deal with real numerical data. Often the data is collected over time. Because numbers are abstract, analysts often use graphs to make numerical data more meaningful. Real data typically fluctuates in some random fashion. However, patterns often exist in the data. An example would be the seasonal fluctuations in commodities. Analysts use a variety of techniques to help them find patterns that have the potential to improve their skill in predicting future trends. This paper suggests some ways to make some of these patterns more obvious.We are here presenting techniques to enhance traditional methods of providing information in graphs. By taking advantage of current computer technology to provide graphic images and to draw graphs, new and exciting visual images are possible. In addition, animation strategies allow us to simulate the passage of time. Finally, we add a whimsical touch.By animating the graphs of mathematical functions we illuminate aspects of the graphing process which might otherwise go unnoticed. The focus of this paper is on curve fitting. APL and J provide the matrix divide function for finding the coefficients of the constant, linear, quadratic, cubic or nth degree polynomial which best fit a collection of data.Each of these polynomials also has a polynomial derivative. These derivatives are useful for three reasons. Select a point on the x-axis. The y-value of the polynomial is the height of the polynomial for that x-value. But the y-value of the derived polynomial for the chosen x-value provides information about the original polynomial in three ways. First the y-value for the chosen x-value is the slope of the original polynomial at that point. The second useful aspect of the derivative is that positive and negative values indicate when the original polynomial is increasing or decreasing. A derivative is one degree less than the original polynomial so for example, a cubic polynomial has a quadratic polynomial derivative.Applications will demonstrate how the slope of the tangent together with the use of images and color can enhance the reader's ability to assimilate data. These enhancements give additional meaning to graphs and add life to the data.
Functions and data can dance as equal partners
Authors: Benkard J. Philip
Published: January 2007

It is difficult today to think of machines of the early fifties. A vaguely recollected machine, which probably combines features of more than one real machine, had as memory a rotating drum. The instruction format included an operation code and four addresses. The first three addresses were not unusual: the locations of two operands and the result of the operation. The fourth address was the location of the next instruction. A programmer had to pick a spot on the drum that will be under the read head when the instruction finishes. It required a bit of ingenuity and lots of experimentation to get the most out machines from that era. The job was not made any easier by the fact the machines typically had about a thousand words of storage.It was not long before assemblers and compilers took over the job of managing machine operations. Programs were divided into two major sections: procedures and data. The small storage capacity raised a problem: to store all numbers with the same number of bits required a choice. If the word size was small, precision was limited; if large, relatively few numbers could be stored. A compromise was reached by storing numbers in several different formats that used more storage when greater precision was required. Data-types had arrived.It was to be a several years before the term
polymorphism
was applied in the computer field. An early use of the word is cited in the OED: "The various portraits of her majesty astonish by their perplexing polymorphism…" [
1839
Fraser's
Mag. XX. 699].Compilers in the fifties required a set of declarations that preceded the executable code. The names of variables were classified into groups that specified the storage formats of their respective members. Different instruction sequences were needed to perform arithmetic on differently formatted numbers.Nonnumeric data was a category by itself. Before long nonnumeric subcategories, i. e., data-types, were recognized. Some of them formed nested sequences, just as the early numeric types --- bits, small integers, large integers, and floating point --- formed a natural sequence. The domain of a function was the set of data-types on which it could operate.A typical OOPS requires declaration of the data-types and functions that apply to them in a different way. Instead of considering functions and the data-types that they can accept, it considers data-types and the sets of functions that can use them. As in the case of FORTRAN, declarations must be complete before programming begins. The sets of functions could be thought of as
function-types,
although the term has been little used, if at all.No matter just how the information on data and function types were stored in the early computer and compiler days, and no matter whether they were stored with the CPU or on disk or drum, not many thought then about arrays of functions. The Michigan Algorithm Decoder (MAD), a compiler of the late fifties, is the only place I know of which supported indexed function name variables.
Accelerating APL programs with SAC
Authors: Grelck Clemens , Scholz Sven-Bodo
Published: January 2007

The paper investigates, how S
AC
, a purely functional language based on C syntax, relates to A
PL
in terms of expressiveness and run-time behavior. To do so, three different excerpts of real world A
PL
programs are examined. It is shown that after defining the required A
PL
primitives in S
AC
, the example programs can be re-written in S
AC
with an almost one-to-one correspondence. Run-time comparisons between interpreting A
PL
programs and compiled S
AC
programs show that speedups due to compilation vary between 2 and 500 for three representative benchmark programs.
APL and mastermind
Authors: Zaccone Richard
Published: January 2007

A course in programming languages should teach students about the syntax and semantics of programming languages, as well as make them aware that a good choice of a programming language can often make a problem much easier to solve. This last point can best be made by giving students a problem that is much easier to solve in one language than in most others.The game of Mastermind is an excellent vehicle for doing this. It is easy to understand, fun to play, and wonderfully easy to program in APL. Mastermind has also been used to teach many concepts in combinatorics [5]. This paper outlines how to program the game of Mastermind in APL. It also presents a strategy which is extremely simple but surprisingly effective.
The code-line
Authors: Batenburg F. D. H. van
Published: January 2007

This paper first summarizes the important discussion about structured programming and its relevance to APL. It states that APL is not less structured than conventional languages, but only differently, and better.Next it discusses the line as a valuable structural concept which is unique for APL.The question is raised how a line should be split, and how we can decide which way of splitting is better than another one. Some criteria will be given to judge the quality of these alternatives.
Compact simplex methods
Authors: Agnew Robert A.
Published: January 2007

The following documented algorithm solves the standard linear programming problem of optimizing a linear form subject to linear inequality or equality constraints and nonnegativity conditions. The solution procedure incorporates the standard simplex method with no embellishments. There is only one loop corresponding to the basic simplex iteration.
Tumor classification by gene expression profiling
Authors: Granzow M. , Berrar D. , Dubitzky W. , Schuster A. , Azuaje F. J. , Eils R.
Published: January 2007

The considerable "algorithmic complexity" of biological systems requires a huge amount of detailed information for their complete description. Current high-throughput technology such as microarrays is generating an overwhelming amount of data of biological systems at the molecular and cellular level. To adequately organize, maintain, analyze and interpret this deluge of information the adaptation of existing and the development of new computational methodologies and tools is required. The principal approach to analyzing and interpreting biological data is to abstract them into logical structures that support and incrementally promote the development of a more general conceptual framework for characterizing, explaining, and predicting processes in living systems. Cluster analysis refers to a computing methodology that discovers and describes meaningful patterns or structures in data. Generally, cluster algorithms are governed by a learning-by-observation process. A plethora of specific algorithms has been suggested in the literature. In the context of microarray gene expression profiling of tumors, this work describes a comparative study of five clustering methods.
On the design of side-stick controllers in fly-by-wire aircraft
Authors: Thomas Muffy , Ormsby Bowen
Published: January 2007

This paper presents the problem of designing the functional behaviour of the interaction between two side-stick controllers, an autopilot, and a flight control computer in a fly-by-wire aircraft. Two models are developed using the ISO formal description technique LOTOS, and analysed using rigorous abstract testing techniques.
An expert system for the real time control of the UK telephony network
Authors: Tester Brian , Baker Steve , Crabtree Barry
Published: January 2007

Controlling a large telephony network requires fast response, flexibility and expertise. An expert system for performing traffic management in BT's UK telephony network is described that is both fast and flexible. The choice of the Prolog as the main implementation language allows us great flexibility in how we represent the problem and for rapid prototyping our solution. This flexibility has contributed significantly to the aim of a high speed response and allowed us to easily extend the solution space for the problems we are addressing.
ACTION
Authors: Wong Jacqueline W. T. , Kan W. K. , Young Gilbert
Published: January 2007

An important step in building up the document database of a full-text retrieval system is to classify each document under one or more
classes
according to the
topical domains
that the document discusses. This is commonly referred to as
classification. Automatic classification
attempts to replace human classifiers by using computers to automate this process. Automatic classification has two major components: (1) the
classification scheme
which defines the available classes under which a document can be classified and their inter-relationships; and (2) the
classification algorithm
which defines the rules and procedures for assigning one or more classes defined in the classification scheme to a document.In this paper, we present an automatic classification approach called
ACTION.
The design goal of ACTION is to achieve the appropriate balance between
specificity
and
exhaustivity,
which are important metrics for assessing an automatic classification approach. The key idea of ACTION is a scheme for measuring the
significance
of each
keyword
in a given document. The scheme not only takes into account the
occurrence frequency
of a keyword, but also the logical relationships between the available classes.
Selecting a computing system with the cognitive cone
Authors: Collado Guillermo A.
Published: January 2007

This paper introduces the Cognitive Cone---a system of rating scales organized as a decision-making tool, which a university can use to select computer resources for establishing its academic computing target environment. The Cognitive Cone can be visualized as a six-dimensional solid cone, converging forward. The dimensions are: Obsolete vs. State-of-the-art hardware technology; Vendor-specific vs. Industry-standard operating system; Curriculum-irrelevant vs. Curriculum-relevant software; Isolation vs. Connectivity of mainframes, minicomputers, and microcomputers; Non-resource sharing vs. Resource sharing between the Schools; Stultifying vs. Facilitating faculty productivity. The shape of the Cognitive Cone is explained and the definitions of its dimensions are presented. The principles underlying its construction are discussed. Its theoretical and measurement foundations are articulated. And finally, the writer describes how San Francisco State University has been using the Cognitive Cone as a decision making tool for helping select computer resources and establish its academic computing target environment.
Review of "A survey of the literature in computer science education since curriculum '68 by Austing, Richard H.; Barnes, Bruce H.; and Engel, Gerald L." Comm. ACM 20, I (Jan. 1977), 13-21.
Authors: Roth W.
Published: January 2007

The high cost of training programmers prohibits a trial and error approach to selection. This paper investigates the qualities required in a modern programmer and a means of evaluating them. The results of a recent experiment to determine which of a collection of programmer selectlon tests and subtests proved to be the best predictor are described.
Review of "Choosing and keeping computer staff by Chandor, Anthony." International Publ. Service Collings, Inc., New York, 1976, 203 pp.
Authors: Lucke A. L.
Published: January 2007

This brief, no-nonsense book should be read by every individual who has management or hiring and firing responsibilities for computer staff. Those who may have come up through the technical ranks of the computing profession will profit from the administrator's and personnel manager's viewpoint; those who may have migrated into such a position from outside of the computing profession will be introduced to the personnel problems peculiar to the trade.
Review of "The technology of computer center management: a proposed course for graduate professional programs in computer science or in information systems by Conte, S. D.; and Halstead, M. H." Comm. ACM 19, 7 (July 1976), 369-370.
Authors: Silvern L. C.
Published: January 2007

This is a collection of readings designed to support Davis's
Management Information Systems
text (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1974; CR 15, 9 (Sept. 1974), Rev. 27,136). The readings,---according to the authors, meet one or more of six selection criteria: they are: a) classics; b) provocative or polemic; c) authored by a leading person in MIS; d) significant research findings; e) notable case histories, or f) excellent summaries.
Review of "Management information systems (MIS) quarterly by Dickson, Gary W. (Ed.)." Manage. Inf. Syst. Q.
Authors: Willoughby T. C.
Published: January 2007

The Society for Management Information Systems and the Management Information Systems Research Center of the University of Minnesota, 269 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minn. 55455. Vol. 1, I (Mar. 1977). Nonmember annual subscription: $25.
Review of "Evaluation of university professors' research performance by Jauch, Lawrence R.; and Glueck, Wiliam F." Management Science 22, 1 (Sept. 1975), 66-75.
Authors: Willoughby T. C.
Published: January 2007

The "in house" computer shop can measure its performance against what it did in previous periods. This activity lncludes the gathering of key criteria of performance and its comparison in a variety of ways. This is called "trend analysis." The difficulty experienced in gathering this kind of data suggests that few have reflected on the key items pertaining to the nature of data processing. Thus, definitions are offered for 7 quantitative criteria and suggestions are made for 2 or 3 qualitative indicators of computer performance.
Review of "Computer selection by Joslin, Edward O." Technology Press, Fairfax Station, Va., 1977, 216 pp.
Authors: Hoplin H. P.
Published: January 2007

The author has packaged a wealth of otherwise hard to come by information on computer selection in the book's 216 pages. As pointed out in the Foreword, the original work published in 1968 [Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass.; see CR 10, 3 (March 1969), Rev. 16,340], a classic, with the basic ideas of Part I still valid after almost a decade of rapid change. In fact, in today's environment, where more and more is being demanded from computer systems, having the major selection criteria readily at hand is a major contribution and, indeed, a necessary foundation for fielding an efficient and effective computer system.
Review of "Operator training--another method by Kechula, Michael A." Data Management 14, 9 (Sept. 1976), 18-23.
Authors: Gluckson F. A.
Published: January 2007

Five years have elapsed since the first World Conference on "Computers in Education" was held in Amsterdam. During these five years in almost all developed countries the growth in the number of computers has been between 20 and 30 percent. Also during these five years and in spite of steady inflation, the price of computers has decreased continuously. These two facts, more than any other consideration, have contributed to the increased use of computers in education in developed countries, and also in developing countries.
Review of "Computers in education by Lecarme, O.; and Lewis, R. (Eds.)." IFIP, North-Holland/American Elsevier Publ. Co., New York, 1975, 1020 pp.
Authors: Willoughby T. C.
Published: January 2007

Not enough attention has been paid in the literature to the training of computer operators. This article is quite useful to those concerned with conducting operator training in a large installation. It de- scribes a modular training program consisting of five modules of classroom courses interspersed with specific on-the-job assignments, under the supervision of an experienced person. The entire course requires about 15 months.
Review of "The new playscript procedure: management tool for action by Matthies, Leslie H." Office Publications, Inc., Stamford, Conn., 1977, 192 pp., ISBN 0-911054-04-9
Authors: Langer J. P.
Published: January 2007

This paper describes an in-house programmer training scheme that produced competent, productive, and practical programmers while minimizing the time taken and the costs involved. It gives details of the curriculum, highlights the benefits achieved, and discusses our solutions to the problems encountered. In addition, it examines the policies necessary on the part of management and the implementors to ensure the success of such a scheme.
Review of "Practical in-house training for DP programmers by Moon, R. J.; O'Connor, C. W.; and Weatherhead, A." in Proc. 6th Australian computer conf., Vol. 2, (Sydney, May 20-24, 1974), 1974, 664-672
Authors: Willoughby T. C.
Published: January 2007

This article is primarily of interest to those involved in shaping or studying managers as they conduct the corporate EDP function. The title, however is both too narrow and misleading: other organizations besides business need that "rare" breed, effective EDP managers.
Review of "Aptitude testing for employment in computer jobs by Penney, G." in Computers in education, O. Lecarme and R. Lewis (Eds.), IFIP, North-Holland/American Elsevier Publ. Co., New York, 1975, 425-428
Authors: Willoughby T. C.
Published: January 2007

Not all major systems have been successful when installed. This paper reviews twelve major installations ranging from less successful to highly successful. Twelve key factors for success are tabulated and reviewed for effect on installation success. The importance of user involvement is highlighted. The use of an implementation task force drawn from all user and systems departments is described, showing method of operation. System definition by user policy guidelines is advocated. Application experience is drawn from production planning, order-entry, marketing and financial planning systems using batch, time-sharing and real-time systems on a variety of databases.
Review of "Successful computer projects a systematic approach to user involvement by Roberts, J. D." in Proc. 6th Australian computer conf., Vol. 1, (Sydney, May 20-24, 1974), 1974, 266-280
Authors: Willoughby T. C.
Published: January 2007

E.D.P. Managers in semi-bureaucratic institutions are nearly all well based in management education cliches. However, the applications of their management techniques and styles are almost totally bound to the combination of restrictions within the semibureaucratic system, or a lack of real enterprise brought on by having for too long been a part of such a system. Most such organisations have adopted the now common view that a professional manager is better suited to leading E.D.P. groups than a technocrat specialist in computer applications techniques. However, whether or not this has been an advance or not seems directly related to how long the manager has been part of bureaucracy. In all of the cases studied there was an imposition onto the E.D.P. staff of gradings and salaries applicable to the rest of the organisations "with some method of adjustment." This has led to a general lack of talent accumulating in secure jobs where deadlines are rarely met and even more rarely accurately judged where they are set by the E.D.P. group themselves. It is little wonder that staff of these organisations, believing E.D.P. staff are well paid, have built a resentment to the apparent lack of efficiency of E.D.P. groups within semi-bureaucratic organisations.
Review of "Production and employment of Ph.D.'s in computer science by Taulbee, Orrin E.; and Conte, Sam D." Comm. ACM 19, 6 (June 1976), 311-313
Authors: Aiken R. M.
Published: January 2007

An industrial engineer from a manufacturing environment finds himself in unfamiliar surroundings when assigned to improve the work flow in a data center.
Factors related to EDP personnel commitment to the organization
Authors: Bartol Kathryn M.
Published: January 2007

This paper investigates the relationship between organizational commitment and five dimensions of job satisfaction, as well as the relationship between commitment and several personal variables, for a sample of EDP personnel. Results show a strong positive relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment for all five satisfaction dimensions under investigation. Several personal variables, position level, years working in the computer field, and income, also were significantly and positively related to organizational commitment.
Engineering processes in managing software system development
Authors: Sung David
Published: January 2007

In developing a large scale software system, the project environment, the effectiveness of human interfaces, and the methods used in performing the work are key factors in determining the success of a project. A number of software methodologies have been developed to increase the probability of a project's success, such as top-down development and structured programming [Dijkstra, 1972]. Yet, little attention has been paid to the problems of integrating these methodologies into a team environment, especially when a large number of software practitioners are involved in the project.