ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
Object oriented librarianship
Authors: Tsvi Bar-David
Venue: ACM SIGPLAN OOPS Messenger (1994)

We have been lectured at incessantly about the software crisis and the need to solve it. A solution - simple of statement but difficult of deployment - is Re-use. For, if I can re-use it (whatever it is), I don't have to design it, build it, or maintain it, with all the consequent benefits of reduction in cost and time to market.
Replacing passive tasks with Ada9X protected records
Authors: C. Douglass Locke, Thomas J. Mesler, David R. Vogel
Venue: ACM SIGAda Ada Letters (1993)

Ada 83 has often been criticized for its lack of a lightweight data synchronization primitive. Compiler vendors have responded to this criticism by implementing the Haberman-Nassi algorithm with a construct called a passive task. The Ada 9X Project has proposed a change to the Ada language adding a protected record construct to support lightweight synchronization. In this paper, we illustrate the changes in coding required to convert an application originally designed to exploit passive tasking to use the protected record construct instead. The resulting software engineering effects of using passive tasks and protected recordsre then compared for this sample task set. We conclude by discussing some protected recorded semantics that may require further clarification and/or modification, and some of the trade-offs that result.
A single-exponential upper bound for finding shortest paths in three dimensions
Authors: John H. Reif, James A. Storer
Venue: Journal of the ACM (JACM) (1994)

We derive a single-exponential time upper bound for finding the shortest path between two points in 3-dimensional Euclidean space with (nonnecessarily convex) polyhedral obstacles. Prior to this work, the best known algorithm required double-exponential time. Given that the problem is known to be PSPACE-hard, the bound we present is essentially the best (in the worst-case sense) that can reasonably be expected.
Algorithm 717: Subroutines for maximum likelihood and quasi-likelihood estimation of parameters in nonlinear regression models
Authors: David S. Bunch, David M. Gay, Roy E. Welsch
Venue: ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software (TOMS) (1993)

We present FORTRAN 77 subroutines that solve statistical parameter estimation problems for general nonlinear models, e.g., nonlinear least-squares, maximum likelihood, maximum quasi-likelihood, generalized nonlinear least-squares, and some robust fitting problems. The accompanying test examples include members of the generalized linear model family, extensions using nonlinear predictors (&ldquo;nonlinear GLIM&rdquo;), and probabilistic choice models, such as linear-in-parameter multinomial probit models. The basic method, a generalization of the NL2SOL algorithm for nonlinear least-squares, employs a model/trust-region scheme for computing trial steps, exploits special structure by maintaining a secant approximation to the second-order part of the Hessian, and adaptively switches between a Gauss-Newton and an augmented Hessian approximation. Gauss-Newton steps are computed using a corrected seminormal equations approach. The subroutines include variants that handle simple bounds on the parameters, and that compute approximate regression diagnostics.
Algorithm 720: An algorithm for adaptive cubature over a collection of 3-dimensional simplices
Authors: Jarle Berntsen, Ronald Cools, Terje O. Espelid
Venue: ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software (TOMS) (1993)

An adaptive algorithm for computing an approximation to the integral of each element in a vector of functions over a 3-dimensional region covered by simplices is presented. The algorithm is encoded in FORTRAN 77. Locally, a cubature formula of degree 8 with 43 points is used to approximate an integral. The local error estimate is based on the same evaluation points. The error estimation procedure tries to decide whether the approximation for each function has asymptotic behavior, and different actions are taken depending on that decision. The simplex with the largest error is subdivided into 8 simplices. The local procedure is then applied to each new region. This procedure is repeated until convergence.
Automatic structure visualization for video editing
Authors: Hirotada Ueda, Takafumi Miyatake, Shigeo Sumino, Akio Nagasaka
Venue: Proceedings of the INTERACT '93 and CHI '93 conference on Human factors in computing systems (1993)

We developed intelligent functions for the automatic description of video structure, and visualization methods for temporal-spatial video structures obtained by these functions as well as for the functions. The functions offer descriptions of cut separations, motion of the camera and filmed objects, tracts and contour lines of objects, existence of objects, and periods of existence. Furthermore, identical objects are automatically linked. Thus the visualization methods supported by object-links allow users to freely browse and directly manipulate the structure including descriptions and raw video data.
Induction Over the Unexplained: Using Overly-General Domain Theories to Aid Concept Learning
Authors: Raymond J. Mooney
Venue: Machine Learning (1993)

This paper describes and evaluates an approach to combining empirical and explanation-based learning called Induction Over the Unexplained (IOU). IOU is intended for learning concepts that can be partially explained by an overly-general domain theory. An eclectic evaluation of the method is presented which includes results from all three major approaches: empirical, theoretical, and psychological. Empirical results show that IOU is effective at refining overly-general domain theories and that it learns more accurate concepts from fewer examples than a purely empirical approach. The application of theoretical results from PAC learnability theory explains why IOU requires fewer examples. IOU is also shown to be able to model psychological data demonstrating the effect of background knowledge on human learning.
Cooperative problem-solving guided by intentions and perception (abstract)
Authors: Birgit Burmeister, Kurt Sundermeyer
Venue: ACM SIGOIS Bulletin (1992)

The formalization of multi-agent autonomous systems requires a rich ontology for capturing a variety of collective behaviours and a powerful semantics for distinguishing between collective agents having, executing, and jointly intending a plan. In this paper, we introduce the notion of social agents and social plans. A definition of joint intentions is provided that avoids some of the problems encountered by previous formalizations. In particular, it models cooperation by requiring that agents adopt a joint goal and a joint plan of action before forming a joint intention. The paper also stresses the planning capability of agents and outlines a process for means-end reasoning by multiple agents.
Using threads in interactive systems: a case study
Authors: Carl Hauser, Christian Jacobi, Marvin Theimer, Brent Welch, Mark Weiser
Venue: Proceedings of the fourteenth ACM symposium on Operating systems principles (1994)

We describe the results of examining two large research and commercial systems for the ways that they use threads. We used three methods: analysis of macroscopic thread statistics, analysis the microsecond spacing between thread events, and reading the implementation code. We identify ten different paradigms of thread usage: defer work, general pumps, slack processes, sleepers, one-shots, deadlock avoidance, rejuvenation, serializers, encapsulated fork and exploiting parallelism. While some, like defer work, are well known, others have not been previously described. Most of the paradigms cause few problems for programmers and help keep the resulting system implementation understandable. The slack process paradigm is both particularly effective in improving system performance and particularly difficult to make work well. We observe that thread priorities are difficult to use and may interfere in unanticipated ways with other thread primitives and paradigms. Finally, we glean from the practices in this code several possible future research topics in the area of thread abstractions.
Data structures: a unified view
Authors: Duane J. Jarc
Venue: ACM SIGCSE Bulletin (1994)

Whether teaching data structures at the elementary or advanced level, it is helpful for students to see the various data structures as parts of a unified whole. The unified view discussed in this paper categorizes data structures into four levels of increasing abstraction. It emphasizes the relative nature of abstraction and representation---what is an abstraction at one level can also be viewed as the representation for another abstraction at a higher level.
Learning competition and cooperation
Authors: Sungzoon Cho, James A. Reggia
Venue: Neural Computation (1993)

Competitive activation mechanisms introduce competitive or inhibitory interactions between units through functional mechanisms instead of inhibitory connections. A unit receives input from another unit proportional to its own activation as well as to that of the sending unit and the connection strength between the two. This, plus the finite output from any unit, induces competition among units that receive activation from the same unit. Here we present a backpropagation learning rule for use with competitive activation mechanisms and show empirically how this learning rule successfully trains networks to perform an exclusive-OR task and a diagnosis task. In particular, networks trained by this learning rule are found to outperform standard backpropagation networks with novel patterns in the diagnosis problem. The ability of competitive networks to bring about context-sensitive competition and cooperation among a set of units proved to be crucial in diagnosing multiple disorders.
Approximate mean value analysis of client-server systems with multi-class requests
Authors: Dorina C. Petriu
Venue: Proceedings of the 1994 ACM SIGMETRICS conference on Measurement and modeling of computer systems (1994)

Stochastic Rendezvous Networks (SRVNs) are performance models for multitasking parallel software with intertask communication via rendezvous introduced in [1], which are very appropriate to model client-server systems. SRVNs differ from Queueing Networks (QNs) in two ways: nodes act as both clients and servers (allowing for nested service), and servers have two distinct phases of service&mdash;the first one &ldquo;in RV&rdquo; with the client, and the second &ldquo;after RV&rdquo;, executed in parallel with the client. Early work on solving SRVN models has used a kind of approximate Mean Value Analysis based on heuristic ad hoc assumptions to determine the task queue properties at the instant of RV request arrivals. Approximation are necessary since SRVN violates product form. Recently, a more rigorous approach was proposed in [2] for the solution of SRVN models, based on a special aggregation (named &ldquo;Task-Directed Aggregation&rdquo; TDA) of the Markov chain model describing the interference of different clients that contend for a single server with FIFO queueing discipline and different service times. The algorithm derived in [2] has the limitation that each client may require only a single class of service. In general, a software server offers a range of services with different workloads and functionalities, and a client may need more than one service. The present paper uses the TDA approach to derive an extended algorithm which allows a client to require any number of services from a server by changing randomly the request class. The new algorithm is incorporated into a decomposition method for models with any number of servers. The SRVN modelling technique is applied to a large case study of a distributed database system, giving insight into the behaviour of the system and helping to identify performance problems such as software bottle-neck.
Quantitative assessment of the software maintenance process and requirements volatility
Authors: Joel Henry
Venue: Proceedings of the 1993 ACM conference on Computer science (1993)

This paper describes analysis techniques used to quantitatively assess the software maintenance process of a large military contractor, and the results obtained. The analysis techniques make use of basic data collected throughout the maintenance process. The data collected are extensive and allow a set of functional enhancements to be traced to process activities and product impact. Simple nonparametric statistical techniques are then applied to test relationships between data items. The results provide valuable information for predicting process and product characteristics, and assessing the maintenance process.
Conjunction as composition
Authors: Pamela Zave, Michael Jackson
Venue: ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology (TOSEM) (1993)

Partial specifications written in many different specification languages can be composed if they are all given semantics in the same domain, or alternatively, all translated into a common style of predicate logic. The common semantic domain must be very general, the particular semantics assigned to each specification language must be conducive to composition, and there must be some means of communication that enables specifications to build on one another. The criteria for success are that a wide variety of specification languages should be accommodated, there should be no restrictions on where boundaries between languages can be placed, and intuitive expectations of the specifier should be met.
Volume models for volumetric data
Authors: Vishwa Ranjan, Alain Fournier
Venue: Computer (1994)

Given a set of points on the boundary of an object derived from volumetric data, how can one represent the object and, in particular visualize it from these points? This problem is addressed by our research on the representation of points at the boundary of an object as a union of simple boundary primitives. We use volumetric data in the customary sense, but an additional feature for our purpose is the availability of an inside-outside test for any point within the volume. Our problem is, therefore, a restricted form of the general problem of visualizing an arbitrary cloud of points. Representing and visualizing can be vague concepts. As an intuitive example of the kind of representation we are looking for, assume we have data somehow representing a human head. In the first approximation, the head can be represented by a sphere. The surface area and the volume of the sphere give us rough, but useful, estimates of the corresponding properties for the head. At the same time, the position and radius of the sphere give us an idea of the translation and scaling to apply to get the head in some canonical position. If, instead, we fit an ellipsoid, the additional degrees of freedom might let us obtain the parameters of the rotations to apply. Of course, we cannot independently obtain estimates for the scaling, volume, or area. The obtainable estimates depend on the context. Whereas human perception deals very well with these ambiguities, computer visualization tends to fall short. The new representation of volumetric data based on union of spheres shows promise in achieving stability.
Object-oriented documentation
Authors: Johannes Sametinger
Venue: ACM SIGDOC Asterisk Journal of Computer Documentation (1994)

Object-oriented programming improves the reusability of software components. Extensive reuse of existing software enhances the importance of documentation. To increase productivity in documenting and to make the structure of documentation better suitable for object-oriented software systems, we suggest applying object-oriented technology to the documentation, too. This makes it possible to reuse documentation by extending and modifying it without making copies and without making any changes to the original documentation. Additionally, interests of various groups of readers (for example, reusers and maintenance staff) can be taken into account, and easy access to relevant information can be given.In this paper, we briefly describe a documentation scheme for object-oriented software systems. This scheme distinguishes among overview, external view, and internal view of both static and dynamic aspects of software components. Then we apply inheritance by simply reusing and extending existing documentation where appropriate, and enforce information hiding by providing an access control mechanism. This improves the reusability and accessibility of documentation. Additionally, we present an exemplary tool and relate our experience with object-oriented documentation.
Integrating total quality management with software engineering education
Authors: Gordon W. Skelton
Venue: ACM SIGCSE Bulletin (1993)

During the past several years Total Quality Management (TQM) has become a driving force in the service and manufacturing industries. TQM and Total Quality Control (TQC) are very applicable to the software development industry and thereby, applicable to software engineering instruction. This article focus on the need for integration of TQM concepts into the regular computer curriculum of the computer science and software engineering program.
Personification of the computer: a pathological metaphor in IS
Authors: Nanette Monin
Venue: Proceedings of the 1994 computer personnel research conference on Reinventing IS : managing information technology in changing organizations: managing information technology in changing organizations (1994)

Semantic and syntactic aspects of metaphor are explored and explained as a preface to an exposition of the impact on Information Systems (IS) personnel of a popular root metaphor: the personification of the computer. It is suggested that since action metaphors determine attitudes and future directions, this personification may be responsible for confusing both end-user and researcher: that if the potential of computers is to be more fully realised and utilised, our perceptions of the language in which we describe them should be illuminated. There is a danger, it is argued, that if human attributes are ascribed to the computer, personnel in IS begin to act out the metaphor pathologically.
ODEXPERT: an expert system to select numerical solvers for initial value ODE systems
Authors: M. S. Kamel, W. H. Enright, K. S. Ma
Venue: ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software (TOMS) (1993)

ODEXPERT is a prototype knowledge-based system which selects the appropriate numerical solvers for initial value ordinary differential equations. It is capable of deriving some knowledge about the input problem by performing automated tests to detect properties and structures in the problem which guide the selection process.
Effectively utilizing systems developers on projects
Authors: A. Nelson, K. Joshi
Venue: Proceedings of the 1993 conference on Computer personnel research (1993)

Today's systems developer should possess skills to deal with a range of social and technical issues during systems development. However, all developers do not excel in every skill dimension. Some may possess very good people skills but only average technical skills, while others may possess very good technical and functional skills but only average people and political skills. Furthermore, all IS projects are not the same. They may differ on dimensions such as size, number of users, user comprehension of tasks, degree of integration, and degree of change. Therefore, the mix of skills needed for successfully completing each project may be different depending upon the nature of the project. This paper highlights the importance of skills in assigning developers to system projects. A proper matching of project skill requirements and developers should lead to a more effective use of development resources. Towards this end key developers' skills and core IS project characteristics are identified. Based on these skills and project characteristics, an approach is proposed for assigning systems developers to IS projects to effectively utilize the systems development staff. Furthermore, the proposed approach can also provide useful suggestions for training existing developers and recruiting additional staff.
Constraint checking with partial information
Authors: Ashish Gupta, Yehoshua Sagiv, Jeffrey D. Ullman, Jennifer Widom
Venue: Proceedings of the thirteenth ACM SIGACT-SIGMOD-SIGART symposium on Principles of database systems (1994)

Constraints are a valuable tool for managing information across multiple databases, as well as for general purposes of assuring data integrity. However, efficient implementation of constraint checking is difficult. In this paper we explore techniques for assuring constraint satisfaction without performing a complete evaluation of the constraints. We consider methods that use only constraint definitions, methods that use constraints and updates, and methods that use constraints, updates, and &ldquo;local&rdquo; data.
Lazy updates for distributed search structure
Authors: Theodore Johnson, Padmashree Krishna
Venue: Proceedings of the 1993 ACM SIGMOD international conference on Management of data (1993)

Very large database systems require distributed storage, which means that they need distributed search structures for fast and efficient access to the data. In this paper, we present an approach to maintaining distributed data structures that uses lazy updates, which take advantage of the semantics of the search structure operations to allow for scalable and low-overhead replication. Lazy updates can be used to design distributed search structures that support very high levels of concurrency. The alternatives to lazy update algorithms (eager updates) use synchronization to ensure consistency, while lazy update algorithms avoid blocking. Since lazy updates avoid the use of synchronization, they are much easier to implement than eager update algorithms. We demonstrate the application of lazy updates to the dB-tree, which is a distributed B+ tree that replicates its interior nodes for highly parallel access. We develop a correctness theory for lazy updates so that our algorithms can be applied to other distributed search structures.
An efficient and flexible method for archiving a data base
Authors: C. Mohan, Inderpal Narang
Venue: Proceedings of the 1993 ACM SIGMOD international conference on Management of data (1993)

We describe an efficient method for supporting incremental and full archiving of data bases (e.g., individual files). Customers archive their data bases quite frequently to minimize the duration of data outage. Because of the growing sizes of data bases and the ever increasing need for high availability of data, the efficiency of the archive copy utility is very important. The method presented here minimizes interferences with concurrent transactions by not acquiring any locks on the data being copied. It significantly reduces disk I/Os by not keeping on data pages any extra tracking information in connection with archiving. These features make the archive copy operation be more efficient in terms of resource consumption compared to other methods. The method is also flexible in that it optionally supports direct copying of data from disks, bypassing the DBMS's buffer pool. This reduces buffer pool pollution and processing overheads, and allows the utility to take advantage of device geometries for efficiently retrieving data. We also describe extensions to the method to accommodate the multisystem shared disks transaction environment. The method tolerates gracefully system failures during the archive copy operation.