ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
Learning disabled students' difficulties in learning to use a word processor: implications for design
Authors: Charles A. MacArthur, Ben Shneiderman
Venue: ACM SIGCHI Bulletin (1986)

Learning disabled students can derive great benefits from using work processors. The ability to produce a neat, printed copy can increase motivation and encourage writing for a wider audience. The editing power makes revision possible without tedious re-copying, thus freeing students and teachers to approach writing as a process involving repeated drafts. Specific problems with handwriting and spelling can also be circumvented. However, learning to use the editing capabilities often presents problems for students, especially those with learning difficulties. Word processors must be designed that are simple, easy to learn, and yet powerful. This study makes software design recommendations based on a study of learning disabled students learning to use word processing.Two groups of four LD students (4th-6th grade) were given twelve hours of word processing instruction using two word processors. Detailed records of progess and errors were made during learning and a final assessment task. Specific design problems are reported and recommendations are made for tasks such as cursor movement, insertion/deletion, use of nulls, blanks, and formatting characters, and overall organization.
A Scheduling-Function-Based Distributed Access Protocol that Uses CDM to Relay Control Information in a Network with Hidden Nodes
Authors: Yaron I. Gold, W. R. Franta
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Computers (1987)

We introduce a method for broadcasting control information (such as the information essential for correct operation of SOSAM and other scheduling-function-based access protocols) in stationary networks with "hidden" nodes (multihop networks). Control information is transmitted as short bit- parallel control messages on a separate control channel whose capacity is shared among the bits of a control message using code division multiplexing (CDM). The CDM method takes advantage of spread-spectrum signal properties that allow, in particular, high accuracy of time-of-arrival measurement and relatively easy separation of multipath copies of a control message.
Real-time voice communications over a token-passing ring local area network
Authors: E Friedman, C Ziegler
Venue: ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review (1986)

This paper describes an implementation of a real-time, packetized voice communication system over a personal computer (PC) based token-passing ring local area network. System configuration and operation are presented. The system implements real-time, conversational transmission of voice packets between two stations on the network. An analysis is shown to calculate the maximum number of two way conversations that can be handled by the system without any reconstitution delay.
Designing in the dark: logics that compete with the user
Authors: J. Grudin
Venue: ACM SIGCHI Bulletin (1986)

Skills developed by software user interface designers to solve problems in communication, management, implementation, and other areas may influence design decisions in the absence of sufficient knowledge of user populations. Given today's rapid change in both &ldquo;faces&rdquo; to the software interface &mdash; user populations and software functionality &mdash; the first pass at a design may be made without sufficient understanding of the relevant goals and behaviors of the eventual users. Without this information, designers are less able to grasp &ldquo;user logic&rdquo;, and may rely on more familiar &ldquo;logics&rdquo; that are useful in other problem-solving arenas. Understanding how these approaches can affect a design may help us recognize them across a wide range of contexts and enable us to focus the human factors contribution to the design evolution process.
Open fullscreen systems
Authors: Martin Gfeller, Monika Stengl
Venue: ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad (1986)

A general scheme is given for designing APL systems which are both open and fullscreen oriented. Such systems guide the user by presenting her visually the data she is working with, but do not restrict her from using APL to accomplish a task. The system is extensible and modeless in the sense that any commands can be entered at any time during the work with the system. Syntactic abbreviations yield a command language which is easy to learn for users not familiar with APL, but is just APL for those who know it. Finally, some design considerations and requirements are given for screen driver tools which can be used to implement such systems.
Stochastic catastrophe theory in computer performance modeling
Authors: Randolph Nelson
Venue: Journal of the ACM (JACM) (1987)

In this paper catastrophic behavior found in computer systems is investigated. Deterministic Catastrophe theory is introduced first. Then it is shown how the theory can be applied in a stochastic framework, which is useful for understanding computer system performance models. Computer system models that exhibit stochastic cusp catastrophe behavior are then analyzed. These models include slotted ALOHA, multiprogramming in computer systems, and buffer flow control in computer networks.
Learning Dominance Relations in Combined Search Problems
Authors: Chee-Fen Yu Benjamin W. Wah
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (1988)

Dominance relations are used to prune unnecessary nodes in search graphs, but they are problem-dependent and cannot be derived by a general procedure. The authors identify machine learning of dominance relations and the applicable learning mechanisms. A study of learning dominance relations using learning by experimentation is described. This system has been able to learn dominance relations for the 0/1-knapsack problem, an inventory problem the reliability-by-replication problem, the two-machine flow shop problem, a number of single-machine scheduling problems, and a two-machine scheduling problem. It is considered that the same methodology can be extended to learn dominance relations in general.
The rendering equation
Authors: James T. Kajiya
Venue: ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics (1986)

We present an integral equation which generalizes a variety of known rendering algorithms. In the course of discussing a monte carlo solution we also present a new form of variance reduction, called Hierarchical sampling and give a number of elaborations shows that it may be an efficient new technique for a wide variety of monte carlo procedures. The resulting rendering algorithm extends the range of optical phenomena which can be effectively simulated.
Arrays and assignment in prolog
Authors: William G. Wong
Venue: Issue 102 (October 1987) (1987)

This note describes a very simple modification to Prolog's Definite Clause Grammar1 (DCG) formalism which allows a menu system with the flavor of Texas Instruments' NLMenus2 to be easily implemented.
A Totally Self-Checking Error Indicator
Authors: N. Gaitanis
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Computers (1985)

This correspondence presents a totally self-checking error indicator for solving the practical problem of monitoring the TSC checkers. We consider TSC checkers designed for checking coded information (data or address) or periodic signals with tolerable transient failures smaller than a constant time limit T, which depends on the propagation delay of the used logic elements. This circuit provides normal indication outputs (01) or (10) and error indication outputs (11) or (00). Permanent failures or transient failures with time duration greater than T result in a permanent error indication, which remains until reset. Provided that an assumed fault occurs within the checker, the permanent error indication output is produced at most after four input changes from (01) to (10) or from (10) to (01).
Ray tracing complex scenes
Authors: Timothy L. Kay, James T. Kajiya
Venue: ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics (1986)

A new algorithm for speeding up ray-object intersection calculations is presented. Objects are bounded by a new type of extent, which can be made to fit convex hulls arbitrarily tightly. The objects are placed into a hierarchy. A new hierarchy traversal algorithm is presented which is efficient in the sense that objects along the ray are queried in an efficient order.Results are presented which demonstrate that our technique is several times faster than other published algorithms. Furthermore, we demonstrate that it is currently possible to ray trace scenes containing hundreds of thousands of objects.
A model-based approach to updating databases with incomplete information
Authors: Marianne Winslett
Venue: ACM Transactions on Database Systems (TODS) (1988)

Suppose one wishes to construct, use, and maintain a database of facts about the real world, even though the state of that world is only partially known. In the artificial intelligence domain, this problem arises when an agent has a base set of beliefs that reflect partial knowledge about the world, and then tries to incorporate new, possibly contradictory knowledge into this set of beliefs. In the database domain, one facet of this situation is the well-known null values problem. We choose to represent such a database as a logical theory, and view the models of the theory as representing possible states of the world that are consistent with all known information. How can new information be incorporated into the database? For example, given the new information that &ldquo;b or c is true,&rdquo; how can one get rid of all outdated information about b and c, add the new information, and yet in the process not disturb any other information in the database? In current-day database management systems, the difficult and tedious burden of determining exactly what to add and remove from the database is placed on the user. The goal of our research was to relieve users of that burden, by equipping the database management system with update algorithms that can automatically determine what to add and remove from the database. Under our approach, new information about the state of the world is input to the database management system as a well-formed formula that the state of the world is now known to satisfy. We have constructed database update algorithms to interpret this update formula and incorporate the new information represented by the formula into the database without further assistance from the user. In this paper we show how to embed the incomplete database and the incoming information in the language of mathematical logic, explain the semantics of our update operators, and discuss the algorithms that implement these operators.
An Ada implementation of Marsaglia's universal random number generator
Authors: Marion G. Harmon
Venue: ACM SIGAda Ada Letters (1988)

A useful feature found in most programing languages, but missing from Ada, is a standard predefined (pseudo) random number generator. In this article we present an Ada implementation a "universal" (i.e., portable) random number generator developed by George Marsaglia. This implementation generates real numbers with 24-bit fractions, uniform on the interval (0,1). We also show a sample program along with the resulting random numbers that were generated by executing that program on a Sun workstation under UNIX.
An experimental evaluation of the impact of data display format on recall performance
Authors: Richard W. Schmell, Narayan S. Umanath
Venue: Communications of the ACM (1988)

Recall, while an important topic in the study of learning and memory, has received relatively little attention as a dependent variable in studies that investigate alternative formats for presenting information. This paper describes two experiments, performed back to back, that examined the relationship between data display format and recall performance across different task categories. The results of Experiment 1 were reaffirmed by Experiment 2 and collectively suggest that a graphical presentation enhances recall when the task possesses a spatial orientation while the recall of specific facts is indifferent to data display format.
Parallel Computer Architectures and Problem Solving Strategies for the Consistent Labeling Problem
Authors: Jeanette T. McCall, Joseph G. Tront, F. G. Gray, Robert M. Haralick, William M. McCormack
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Computers (1985)

Parallel computer architectures and problem solving strategies for the consistent labeling problem are studied. Problem solving factors include: processor intercommunication methods, passing order, and selection of the initial processor to receive the problem.
A pseudo-ODE modelling trick for the direct method of lines computation of important fracture mechanics parameters
Authors: Leonidas S Xanthis
Venue: ACM SIGNUM Newsletter (1986)

A novel introduction in fracture mechanics of pseudo-ordinary differential equations (ODEs) corresponding to the stress intensity factors (SIFs), augments the under-determined system of ODEs produced by the method of lines (MOL) solution of the equations of elasticity, in the presence of cracks. With this modelling "trick", which is natural to MOL, the SIFs are obtained directly, as part of the solution unknowns, thus avoiding the uncertainties associated with other indirect methods.
A course project to design and implement the kernel of a real-time operating system
Authors: Barry L. Kurtz, Joseph J. Pfeiffer,  Jr.
Venue: Proceedings of the eighteenth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education (1987)

There is a desperate lack of training in real-time programming in the computer science curriculum. At best, students may write an interrupt driven program in an assembly language course. As a result, a majority of real-time programming in industry is done by enginers who understand hardware but have little training in program development for complex software systems. This paper describes a course project that can be used in an operating systems course or a course in real-time software design. The project development proceeds from the core of a real-time kernel outward to user calls to the kernel. The major components of this project are: the underlying data structures, the scheduler, input and output device drivers, programmer's interfaces to the system, and a series of user programs exercising the system. The original course was developed for an industrial environment where it proved to be quite successful. The project has been adapted for for use both in an operating systems course and a special topics course in real-time programming.
Boolean comparison by simulation
Authors: E. P. Stabler, H. Bingol
Venue: Proceedings of the 24th ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference (1987)

The development of high speed, large capacity hardware systems for logic simulation makes Boolean comparison of logic networks feasible for designs of practical importance. Boolean comparison provides a complete check of functional equivalence of two logic networks and is a valuable tool in design verification. This paper describes virtual logic that controls the Boolean comparison process and provides large reductions in the required number of test cases for many practical design problems. The virtual logic is simulated by the logic simulation system at the same time as the two models are simulated for test cases. The virtual logic has the task of generating new test cases such that the entire input space is covered but minimizing the number of test vectors required. Multivalued logic simulation and other techniques are used to achieve the reductions. Since the entire Boolean comparison task is completed without assistance of a general purpose host system the usual communication overhead is avoided. The techniques described are suitable for high speed logic simulators. The simulation system for the work described here was the Engineering Verification Engine (EVE) developed by IBM but other simulation systems provide similar capability.
Retraining teachers to teach high school computer science
Authors: James, L. Poirot, Harriet, G. Taylor, Cathleen, A. Norris
Venue: Communications of the ACM (1988)

The national trends regarding the retraining of secondary school teachers in a computer science discipline are examined. Recommendations and guidelines are offered in this ACM/IEEE Task Force report.
On synchronization in hard-real-time systems
Authors: Stuart R. Faulk, David L. Parnas
Venue: Communications of the ACM (1988)

The design of software for hard-real-time systems is usually difficult to change because of the constraints imposed by the need to meet absolute real-time deadlines on processors with limited capacity. Nevertheless, a new approach involving a trio of ideas appears to be helpful for those who build software for such complex applications.
Numerical integration in a symbolic context
Authors: K. O. Geddes
Venue: Proceedings of the fifth ACM symposium on Symbolic and algebraic computation (1986)

Techniques for numerical integration within a symbolic computation environment are discussed. The goal is to develop a fully automated numerical integration code that handles infinite intervals of integration and that handles various types of integrand singularities. Such a code should also be able to compute to arbitrarily high precision. For the case of an analytic integrand on a finite interval, a Clenshaw-Curtis quadrature routine is used. A concept of general (non-Taylor) series expansions forms the basis of techniques for identifying transformations that may yield an analytic integrand. For the case when no transformation is successful, the general series expansion is used to represent the integrand and it is directly integrated to move beyond the singular point. The latter technique relies on a powerful symbolic integrator that can express integrals in terms of special functions.
A nonlinear lower bound for random-access machines under logarithmic cost
Authors: Arnold Schönhage
Venue: Journal of the ACM (JACM) (1988)

For on-line random-access machines under logarithmic cost, the simple task of storing arbitrary binary inputs has nonlinear complexity. Even if all kinds of powerful internal operations are admitted and reading of storage locations is free of charge, just successively changing the storage contents for properly storing arbitrary n-bit inputs requires an average cost of order n &middot; log*n.
Expected changes in software development using engineering work stations
Authors: Y. Ohfude
Venue: Proceedings of the 1987 Fall Joint Computer Conference on Exploring technology: today and tomorrow (1987)

In the 1990's, it will be common practice in Japan to develop software using a distributed environment based on an Engineering Work Station - Local Area Network (EWS-LAN). I will discuss the expected changes in software development using an EWS from the role of person, distributed data base, expected facilities for software and Japanese specialties.
Benchmark runs of the subscripted D-Algorithm with observation path mergers on the Brglez-Fujiwara circuits
Authors: M. Ladjadj, J. F. McDonald
Venue: Proceedings of the 24th ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference (1987)

To speed up the test generation process, the Subscripted D-Algorithm (AALG) uses &ldquo;gang&rdquo; testing in its attempts to construct a single test pattern designed to test simultaneously as many faults as possible. Other techniques such as merger of the observation paths and multiple backtrace are also introduced. However, the main purpose of this paper is to report results of the runs of AALG on various benchmark circuits specifically the Brglez-Fujiwara Circuits.
On the Uncertainty in the Correctness of Computer Programs
Authors: Farokh B. Bastani
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (1985)

The use of digital computers in critical process control systems requires the formal assessment of the system reliability. Failures can be due to either component malfunctions or design faults. Only the latter are relevant in evaluating software reliability. Although it is preferable to prove whether the program meets its specification, this is not yet practical for real-time control programs. Further, the specification itself can be incorrect or incomplete due to the complex requirements.
Symmetric intertask communication
Authors: Nissim Francez, Shaula A. Yemini
Venue: ACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems (TOPLAS) (1985)

We argue for the need of supporting a symmetric select construct, in which entry calls as well as accepts can be alternatives. We present several situations in which a symmetric select leads to a more natural programming style. We show that several semantic principles are violated by a nonsymmetric select, while being satisfied by a symmetric one. In particular, the suggested symmetric intertask communication mechanism is fully abstract and composable, and has a distributed termination rule which reduces the risk of deadlock. Our discussion is in terms of Ada&trade;.
Views: a way for pattern matching to cohabit with data abstraction
Authors: P. Wadler
Venue: Proceedings of the 14th ACM SIGACT-SIGPLAN symposium on Principles of programming languages (1987)

Pattern matching and data abstraction are important concepts in designing programs, but they do not fit well together. Pattern matching depends on making public a free data type representation, while data abstraction depends on hiding the representation. This paper proposes the views mechanism as a means of reconciling this conflict. A view allows any type to be viewed as a free data type, thus combining the clarity of pattern matching with the efficiency of data abstraction.
Laboratories for an undergraduate course in data communications and networks
Authors: Robert H. Greenfield, John H. Parr
Venue: ACM SIGCSE Bulletin (1987)

An undergraduate course in data communications and networks has been offered at the University of Regina. We have developed a series of laboratory exercises to accompany this course [1, 2]. These labs originally focused on the Stallings text [3]. They have been expanded and redesigned to complement Tanenbaum's text [4] and to take advantage of the facilities at the University of Regina.
Defining ethical and unethical student behaviors using departmental regulations and sanctions
Authors: Janet M. Cook
Venue: Proceedings of the eighteenth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education (1987)

College students do not automatically possess basic standards of acceptable and unacceptable behavior with regard to computer hardware, software, and data sets. For their sake and our own we need to spell out what is expected of them.Universities like mine have stated that students cannot be penalized or dismissed for theft or for damage to equipment/software/records unless they have received a copy of a written policy describing proscribed activities and their penalties.This paper includes two sample policies. One considers only the use of software in microcomputer laboratories. The other covers mainframe, minicomputer and microcomputer facilities, use of resources in a chargeback system, penalties for plagiarism and illegal copying of software, and individual responsibilities with regard to group projects.
A retargetable instruction reorganizer
Authors: Jack W. Davidson
Venue: ACM SIGPLAN Notices (1986)

Extant peephole optimizers can perform many optimizations that are handled by higher-level optimizers. This paper describes a retargetable instruction reorganizer that performs targeting and evaluation order determination by applying a well known algorithm for optimal code generation for expressions to object code. By applying the algorithm to object code after code generation and optimization, a phase ordering problem often encountered by higher-level optimizers is avoided. It minimizes the number of registers and temporaries required to compile expressions by rearranging machine instructions. For some machines, this can result in smaller and faster programs. By generalizing its operation, the reorganizer can also be used to reorder instructions to avoid delays in pipelined machines. For one pipelined machine, it has provided a 5 to 10 percent improvement in the execution speed of benchmark programs.