title: Compositional synthesis of discrete event systems via synthesis equivalence

authors: Malik, Robi

subjects: computer science

abstract: A two-pass algorithm for compositional synthesis of modular supervisors for largescale systems of composed finite-state automata is proposed. The first pass provides an efficient method to determine whether a supervisory control problem has a solution, without explicitly constructing the synchronous composition of all components. If a solution exists, the second pass yields an over-approximation of the least restrictive solution which, if nonblocking, is a modular representation of the least restrictive supervisor. Using a new type of equivalence of nondeterministic processes, called synthesis equivalence, a wide range of abstractions can be employed to mitigate state-space explosion throughout the algorithm.

text: Compositional synthesis of discrete event systems via synthesis equivalence A two-pass algorithm for compositional synthesis of modular supervisors for largescale systems of composed finite-state automata is proposed. The first pass provides an efficient method to determine whether a supervisory control problem has a solution, without explicitly constructing the synchronous composition of all components. If a solution exists, the second pass yields an over-approximation of the least restrictive solution which, if nonblocking, is a modular representation of the least restrictive supervisor. Using a new type of equivalence of nondeterministic processes, called synthesis equivalence, a wide range of abstractions can be employed to mitigate state-space explosion throughout the algorithm.

year: 2008-05-12

title: The legitimacy of regulation

authors: Barton, Barry

subjects: law

abstract: I wish to address the topic of property rights and environmental regulation, chiefly the land use regulation that takes place when a rule is made in a plan under the Resource Management Act 1991, the RMA. There has been a lot written on the topic, but mostly by advocates of property rights and critics of regulation. I wish to clear out some of the misconceptions and bring some balance to the debate. My proposition is that it is legal, constitutional, principled, and ethical to regulate the use of land, Land use regulation cannot be dismissed if we are to make progress on amenity, natural character, ecological integrity, biodiversity, and sustainability. Policymakers should remain undeterred by the possibility that RMA regulation will affect the rights of property owners. I will not argue that all land use planning and regulation is done well, nor will I say that they are the only way to solve environmental problems; indeed it would be impossible to agree with either suggestion. I will simply argue that planning and land use regulation have a proper place in the scheme of things.

text: The legitimacy of regulation I wish to address the topic of property rights and environmental regulation, chiefly the land use regulation that takes place when a rule is made in a plan under the Resource Management Act 1991, the RMA. There has been a lot written on the topic, but mostly by advocates of property rights and critics of regulation. I wish to clear out some of the misconceptions and bring some balance to the debate. My proposition is that it is legal, constitutional, principled, and ethical to regulate the use of land, Land use regulation cannot be dismissed if we are to make progress on amenity, natural character, ecological integrity, biodiversity, and sustainability. Policymakers should remain undeterred by the possibility that RMA regulation will affect the rights of property owners. I will not argue that all land use planning and regulation is done well, nor will I say that they are the only way to solve environmental problems; indeed it would be impossible to agree with either suggestion. I will simply argue that planning and land use regulation have a proper place in the scheme of things.

year: 2003

title: Bicultural perspectives on Māori legal research

authors: Mackinnon, Jacquelin

subjects: Māori

abstract: Increasingly, legal research projects undertaken at law school or in practice will involve Māori custom law and/or tikanga Māori.' The role of both Māori custom law and tikanga Māori is most evident in the work of the Māori Land Court in the interpretation and application of legislation relating to Māori land. Increasingly, general statutes incorporate Māori principles and values, such as those to be found in the Resource Management Act 1991, or make explicit reference to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. The statutory interpretation function of the Courts in relation to these, and less obvious examples, requires knowledge of tikanga Māori and/or Māori custom law. For any analysis of the work of the Courts or of the legislature, knowledge of tikanga Māori and/or custom law is required. Both Māori custom law and tikanga Māori are preserved by and accessed through the oral tradition. In addition to its role in the Courts and in relation to legislation, the most significant role played by the oral tradition is in the work of the Waitangi Tribunal. The oral tradition also plays an increasingly important part in other areas requiring research. What follows is an introduction to the oral tradition and its role in the legal system of Aotearoa/New Zealand. An understanding of the oral tradition is essential to the construction of a research path that is both ethical and effective.

text: Bicultural perspectives on Māori legal research Increasingly, legal research projects undertaken at law school or in practice will involve Māori custom law and/or tikanga Māori.' The role of both Māori custom law and tikanga Māori is most evident in the work of the Māori Land Court in the interpretation and application of legislation relating to Māori land. Increasingly, general statutes incorporate Māori principles and values, such as those to be found in the Resource Management Act 1991, or make explicit reference to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. The statutory interpretation function of the Courts in relation to these, and less obvious examples, requires knowledge of tikanga Māori and/or Māori custom law. For any analysis of the work of the Courts or of the legislature, knowledge of tikanga Māori and/or custom law is required. Both Māori custom law and tikanga Māori are preserved by and accessed through the oral tradition. In addition to its role in the Courts and in relation to legislation, the most significant role played by the oral tradition is in the work of the Waitangi Tribunal. The oral tradition also plays an increasingly important part in other areas requiring research. What follows is an introduction to the oral tradition and its role in the legal system of Aotearoa/New Zealand. An understanding of the oral tradition is essential to the construction of a research path that is both ethical and effective.

year: 2007