ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
Adjustable autonomy in real-world multi-agent environments
Authors: Paul Scerri, David Pynadath, Milind Tambe
Venue: Proceedings of the fifth international conference on Autonomous agents (2001)

Through {\em adjustable autonomy} (AA), an agent can dynamically vary the degree to which it acts autonomously, allowing it to exploit human abilities to improve its performance, but without becoming overly dependent and intrusive in its human interaction. AA research is critical for successful deployment of multi-agent systems in support of important human activities. While most previous AA work has focused on individual agent-human interactions, this paper focuses on {\em teams} of agents operating in real-world human organizations. The need for agent teamwork and coordination in such environments introduces novel AA challenges. First, agents must be more judicious in asking for human intervention, because, although human input can prevent erroneous actions that have high team costs, one agent's inaction while waiting for a human response can lead to potential miscoordination with the other agents in the team. Second, despite appropriate local decisions by individual agents, the overall team of agents can potentially make global decisions that are unacceptable to the human team. Third, the diversity in real-world human organizations requires that agents gradually learn individualized models of the human members, while still making reasonable decisions even before sufficient data are available. We address these challenges using a multi-agent AA framework based on an adaptive model of users (and teams) that reasons about the uncertainty, costs, and constraints of decisions at {\em all} levels of the team hierarchy, from the individual users to the overall human organization. We have implemented this framework through Markov decision processes, which are well suited to reason about the costs and uncertainty of individual and team actions. Our approach to AA has proven essential to the success of our deployed multi-agent Electric Elves system that assists our research group in rescheduling meetings, choosing presenters, tracking people's locations, and ordering meals.
Architecture for varying multimedia formats
Authors: Gal Ashour, Arnon Amir, Dulce Ponceleon, Savitha Srinivasan
Venue: Proceedings of the 2000 ACM workshops on Multimedia (2000)

In recent years, a few transitions in multimedia applications may be observed. We can identify at least two trends. Firstly, multimedia is being introduced in mainstream applications, leaving behind its traditional focus on highly professional markets, and on the gaming enhancement arena. Secondly, standardization bodies continue to work on media standards in order to provide a common approach to enable interoperability, better quality and efficiency under specified constraints. These new media standards are then added to existing archives of media, spanning a broad spectrum of legacy media standards. The result of these two trends is that a typical multimedia application, in order to be effective, needs to support many input types and provide the user with a seamless and transparent behavior. This paper discusses a pragmatic approach to this problem based on the object-oriented paradigm for real-world multimedia applications.
Deterministic distributed resource discovery (brief announcement)
Authors: Shay Kutten, David Peleg
Venue: Proceedings of the nineteenth annual ACM symposium on Principles of distributed computing (2000)

The resource discovery problem was introduced by Harchol-Balter, Leighton and Lewin in [HLL99], as a part of their work on web caching. They developed a randomized algorithm for the problem in the weakly connected directed graph model, that was implemented within LCS at MIT, and then licensed to Akamai Technologies. The directed graph is a logical one (as opposed to the underlying communication graph). It represents the nodes' &ldquo;knowledge&rdquo; about the topology of the underlying communication network. In [HLL99] the notion of topology &ldquo;knowledge&rdquo; is simplified, by modeling it as a &ldquo;knowledge&rdquo; of an ID of another node. In the general case such a &ldquo;knowledge&rdquo; may a include whole route, as well as any additional information needed in order to establish a connection (e.g. a cryptographic public key).It is assumed (here, and in [HLL99]) that the logical graph G is weakly connected. This can result from topology changes: e.g., a loss of a connection to a name server, or a gain of new knowledge that is uneven between different nodes, since it is obtained by distributed algorithms, and in non-homogeneous network. Note that weak connectivity is a necessary condition for the solvability of the problem. Dealing efficiently with the weakly connected graph was, in fact, the main contribution in [HLL99]. The alternative of transforming the graph into an undirected one, and then solving the problem on the resulting undirected graph, is possible. If E0 = O(n) it even leads to efficient solutions: A time optimal algorithm (for undirected graphs) appears in [SV82], It was designed for CRCW PRAM, but can be translated into the model of [HLL99] using O(|E0| log n) messages. The assumption that |E0| = O(n) may be suitable if topology changes are assumed to be limited. Many practical distributed systems, however, attempt to deal with the case that the network may be partitioned. Thus, E0 should be as big as possible, to enable the disconnected components to regain connectivity. The current paper proposes a deterministic algorithm for the problem in the same model as that of [HLL99]. Our algorithm is near optimal in all the measures: time, message, and communication complexities. Each previous algorithm had a complexity that was higher at least in one of the measures. Specifically, previous deterministic solutions required either time linear in the diameter of the initial network, or communication complexity O(n3) (with message complexity O(n2)), or message complexity O(|E0| log n) (where E0 is the edge set of the initial graph). Compared to the main randomized algorithm of the Harchol-Balter, Leighton, and Lewin, the time complexity is reduced from O(log2n) to O(log n log* n), the message complexity from O(n log 2n) to O(n log n log * n), and the communication complexity from O(n2 log3 n) to O(|E0|log2 n + n2 log n).
Trust-based facilitator for e-partnerships
Authors: Chihiro Ono, Boyd C. Paulson,  Jr., Dai Kanetomo, Mark Cutkosky, Keesoo Kim, Charles J. Petrie
Venue: Proceedings of the fifth international conference on Autonomous agents (2001)

In this paper, we propose a facilitator that finds capable and trustworthy partners on behalf of client users, which helps users form and maintain e-partnerships for electronic commerce and electronic collaboration. Unlike existing capability- based facilitators or matchmakers, the facilitator collects and maintains private &ldquo;word- of- mouth&rdquo; trust information as well as capabilities from each user and uses the information for personalized trustbased facilitation for each user, which is done through the facilitation protocols and trust propagation mechanisms. Compared to other existing trust mechanisms, the characteristics of trust, which this facilitator handles, are personalized- collaborativesubjective- qualitative- private.
Numerical monsters
Authors: Christopher Essex, Matt Davison, Christian Schulzky
Venue: ACM SIGSAM Bulletin (2000)

When the results of certain computer calculations are shown to be not simply incorrect but dramatically incorrect, we have a powerful reason to be cautious about all computer-based calculations. In this paper we present a "Rogue's Gallery" of simple calculations whose correct solutions are obvious to humans but whose numerical solutions are incorrect in pathological ways. We call these calculations, which can be guaranteed to wreak numerical mayhem across both software packages and hardware platforms, "Numerical Monsters". Our monsters can be used to provide deep insights into how computer calculations fail, and we use them to engender appreciation for the subject of numerical analysis in our students. Although these monsters are based on well-understood numerical pathologies, even experienced numerical analysts will surprises in their behaviour and can use the lessons they bring to become even better masters of their tools.
Computation of the degree of rational maps between curves
Authors: J. Rafael Sendra, Franz Winkler
Venue: Proceedings of the 2001 international symposium on Symbolic and algebraic computation (2001)

The degree of a rational map measures how often the map covers the image variety. In particular, when the rational map is a parametrization, the degree measures how often the parametrization traces the image. We show how the degree of rational maps between algebraic curves can be determined efficiently. In the process, we also give a complete proof of Sederberg's approach for making a parametrization proper.
Gray code and the &plusmn; sign sequence when &plusmn;f(&plusmn;f(&plusmn;f(&bull;&bull;&bull;&plusmn;f(x)&bull;&bull;&bull;))) is ordered
Authors: Herbert E. Salzer
Venue: Communications of the ACM (1973)

A previous note gives a rule for determining the sequence of + and - signs to obtain the ith largest value of +&fnof;(&plusmn;&fnof;(&plusmn;&fnof;(&middot;&middot;&middot; &plusmn;&fnof;(x)&middot;&middot;&middot;))) when &fnof;(x) is positive and monotonic [1, p. 46, &sect;2]. Shortly after publication the writer received a letter dated March 9, 1972, from John Murchland, of the Planning Transport Research Computation Co. Ltd., London, in which he mentioned that the conversion scheme for obtaining the &plusmn; sign sequence from i - 1 happens to be also the standard way of going from a binary number to its Gray code equivalent, when after the conversion every plus sign is replaced by 0 and every minus sign by 1.
Javiva: a tool for visualizing and validating student-written Java programs
Authors: Joseph A. Turner, Joseph L. Zachary
Venue: ACM SIGCSE Bulletin (2001)

The ability to think abstractly about the components of a computer program is critical for computer science students. A student who has not yet developed this ability tends to view a program as an unstructured collection of statements and expressions. Introductory computer science textbooks promote the use of pre-conditions, post-conditions, and abstraction functions as techniques for fostering abstract thinking. Existing programming languages and tools, however, do not generally support these techniques. Consequently, we have built and are beginning to experiment with Javiva. Javiva extracts pre-conditions, post-conditions, and abstraction functions---included as stylized comments in Java source files---and uses them to create instrumented class files. When these instrumented class files are run, they automatically diagnose and report violations by methods of pre- and post-conditions. These classes also exploit abstraction functions to automatically produce abstract visualizations of their objects.
Computer security and impact on computer science education
Authors: T. Andrew Yang
Venue: Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges (2001)

The integration of computer security into existing Computer Science undergraduate education is an urgent and complicated task. With the increasing risk of computer intrusion, computer crimes and information wars, Computer Science educators bear the responsibility of cultivating a new generation of graduates who are aware of computer security related issues and are equipped with proper knowledge and skills to solve the problems. The task of integrating computer security into existing Computer Science programs, however, is complicated due to the fact that most faculty members lack the specialty knowledge in this field. This paper begins with a survey of the computer security field by examining the sequence of actions that the US government has taken since 1987 to counter the computer security issues, followed by an assessment of needs for practitioners in the field. A comprehensive approach of integrating computer security into an existing degree program is then proposed. The paper concludes with observations upon what should be taught and how computer security could be integrated into undergraduate education.
A simple linear model of demand paging performance
Authors: Jerome H. Saltzer
Venue: Communications of the ACM (1974)

Predicting the performance of a proposed automatically managed multilevel memory system requires a model of the patterns by which programs refer to the information stored in the memory. Some recent experimental measurements on the Multics virtual memory suggest that, for rough approximations, a remarkably simple program reference model will suffice. The simple model combines the effect of the information reference pattern with the effect of the automatic management algorithm to produce a single, composite statement: the mean number of memory references between paging exceptions increases linearly with the size of the paging memory. The resulting model is easy to manipulate, and is applicable to such diverse problems as choosing an optimum size for a paging memory, arranging for reproducible memory usage charges, and estimating the amount of core memory sharing.
Integrating testing into the curriculum &mdash; arsenic in small doses
Authors: Edward L. Jones
Venue: ACM SIGCSE Bulletin (2001)

Testing accounts for 50% of the cost of software, yet it receives little treatment in most curricula. This paper presents some approaches to giving all students multiple, incremental exposures to software testing throughout the curriculum. A unifying framework is presented which identifies a minimal set of test experiences, skills and concepts students should accumulate. The integrated approach combines common test experiences in core courses, an elective course in software testing, and volunteer participation in a test laboratory.
Data allocation algorithms for distributed video servers
Authors: James Z. Wang, Ratan K. Guha
Venue: Proceedings of the eighth ACM international conference on Multimedia (2000)

In this paper, We discuss the server level data allocation problems in the distributed Video-on-Demand systems. We proposed two data allocation algorithms, Bandwidth Weighted Partition (BWP) algorithm and Popularity Based (PB) algorithm, based on the bandwidth and storage capacity limits of the distributed multimedia servers. We compare those two algorithms with the traditional Round Robin (RR) algorithm. The analysis and simulation studies show that PB algorithm is a simple and practical video data allocation algorithm for the distributed video servers. It provides near optimal system performance in any system condition.
Elements on chip placement optimization (abstract only)
Authors: Roman Bazylevych, Taras Teluk
Venue: Proceedings of the symposium on Contemporary computing in Ukraine (2000)

The review of scanning area method for elements placement implementation is proposed. The analysis of combinations of scanning area method with other approaches is also performed. It is examined the possibilities of large scanning areas modeling and using of stochastic algorithms in scanning area method. The effectiveness of modeling strategies is determined and using recommendations are developed.
The k-distribution of generalized feedback shift register pseudorandom numbers
Authors: M. Fushimi, S. Tezuka
Venue: Communications of the ACM (1983)

A necessary and sufficient condition is established for the generalized feedback shift register (GFSR) sequence introduced by Lewis and Payne to be k-distributed. Based upon the theorem, a theoretical test for k-distributivity is proposed and performed in a reasonable amount of computer time, even for k = 16 and a high degree of resolution (for which statistical tests are impossible because of the astronomical amount of computer time required). For the special class of GFSR generators considered by Arvillias and Maritsas based on the primitive trinomial Dp + Dq + 1 with q = an integral power of 2, it is shown that the sequence is k-distributed if and only if the lengths of all subregisters are at least k. The theorem also leads to a simple and efficient method of initializing the GFSR generator so that the sequence to be generated is k-distributed.
Adaptively constructing the query interface for meta-search engines
Authors: Lieming Huang, Thiel Ulrich, Matthias Hemmje, Erich J. Neuhold
Venue: Proceedings of the 6th international conference on Intelligent user interfaces (2001)

With the exponential growth of information on the Internet, current information integration systems have become more and more unsuitable for this "Internet age" due to the great diversity among sources. This paper presents a constraint-based query user interface model, which can be applied to the construction of dynamically generated adaptive user interfaces for meta-search engines.
Fundamental principles and priority setting for universal usability
Authors: Gregg Vanderheiden
Venue: Proceedings on the 2000 conference on Universal Usability (2000)

There are a number of interrelating factors that must be considered and weighed against each other when deciding which features or capabilities should be added to a product to increase its flexibility and usability by a wider range of users. Not all strategies or approaches are created equal, and designers have limited resources in developing and improving products. It is, therefore, important that the different dimensions of usability be understood and that priorities be applied appropriately. This paper attempts to delineate some of the key dimensions of usability and to begin the process of providing a rationale for prioritization between possible changes to a product's interface. The paper discusses a multidimensional prioritization approach that is coupled to a vector-based usability evaluation procedure currently being developed.
Concurrent control with &ldquo;readers&rdquo; and &ldquo;writers&rdquo;
Authors: P. J. Courtois, F. Heymans, D. L. Parnas
Venue: Communications of the ACM (1971)

The problem of the mutual exclusion of several independent processes from simultaneous access to a &ldquo;critical section&rdquo; is discussed for the case where there are two distinct classes of processes known as &ldquo;readers&rdquo; and &ldquo;writers.&rdquo; The &ldquo;readers&rdquo; may share the section with each other, but the &ldquo;writers&rdquo; must have exclusive access. Two solutions are presented: one for the case where we wish minimum delay for the readers; the other for the case where we wish writing to take place as early as possible.
Issues in the Design of Adaptive Middleware Load Balancing
Authors: Ossama Othman, Douglas C. Schmidt
Venue: Proceedings of the ACM SIGPLAN workshop on Languages, compilers and tools for embedded systems (2001)

Load balancing middleware is used extensively to improve scalability and overall system throughput in distributed systems. Many load balancing middleware services are simplistic, however, since they are geared only for specic use-cases and environments. These limitations make it hard to use the same load balancing service for anything other than the distributed application it was designed for originally. This lack of generality forces continuous re-development of application-specic load balancing services. Not only does re-development increase deployment costs of distributed applications, but it also increases the potential of producing non-optimal load balancing implementations since proven load balancing service optimizations cannot be reused directly.This paper presents a set of load balancing service features that address many existing middleware load balancing service inadequacies, such as lack of server-side transparency, centralized load balancing, sole support for stateless replication, fixed load monitoring granularities, lack of fault tolerant load balancing, non-extensible load balancing algorithms, and simplistic replica management. All the capabilities described in this paper are currently under development for the next generation of middleware-based load balancing service distributed with our CORBA-compliant ORB (TAO).
Computer-usage accounting for generalized time-sharing systems
Authors: Arthur M. Rosenberg
Venue: Communications of the ACM (1964)

The current development of general time-sharing systems requires a revision of accounting procedures for computer usage. Since time-sharing system users operate concurrently, it is necessary to be more precise as to the amount of computer time and storage space that a user actually utilizes. The various cost factors which should be considered for computer usage accounting in generalized time-sharing systems are discussed.
Slicing floorplan design with boundary-constrained modules
Authors: En-Cheng Liu, Ming-Shiun Lin, Jianbang Lai, Ting-Chi Wang
Venue: Proceedings of the 2001 international symposium on Physical design (2001)

using minimum amount of area overhead. And we show that our algorithm can be applied to improve the solution produced by any area-constrained functional replication partitioning heuristic.
Implementation of object-relational DBMSs in a relational database course
Authors: Ming Wang
Venue: ACM SIGCSE Bulletin (2001)

Object-relational DBMS was gradually added as a new topic to the author's database course in response to the rapid changes in DBMS technology in the real world. Implementation of ORDBMS technology in a traditional relational database course had significant impacts on the database curriculum. As an outcome, students were able to solve problems that could not be solved well in a relational database. ORDBMS was implemented with Universal Modeling Language (UML) and the Oracle 8i server. Course design, teaching methodology, class activities and the outcome of the course are discussed.
Code Generation and Storage Allocation for Machines with Span-Dependent Instructions
Authors: Edward L. Robertson
Venue: ACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems (TOPLAS) (1979)

Many machine languages have two instruction formats, one of which allows addressing of &ldquo;nearby&rdquo; operands with &ldquo;short&rdquo; (e.g. one word) instructions, while &ldquo;faraway&rdquo; operands require &ldquo;long&rdquo; format (e.g. two words). Because the distance between an instruction and its operand depends upon the formats of the intervening instructions, the formats of different instructions may be interdependent. An efficient technique is discussed which optimally assigns formats to instructions in a given program and is practical in space as well as time. The more sophisticated problem of arranging operands within programs is discussed. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that an efficient algorithm can guarantee even a good approximation for this problem, since it is shown that r-approximation is NP-complete. Finally, implications of these problems for hardware and software design are considered.
Variational Analysis of Functionals of Poisson Processes
Authors: Ilya Molchanov, Sergei Zuyev
Venue: Mathematics of Operations Research (2000)

LetF(II) be a functional of a (generally nonhomogeneous) Poisson process II with intensity measureÂµ. Considering the expectationEÂµF(II) as a functional ofÂµ from the cone M of positive finite measures, we derive closed form expressions for its FrÃ©chet derivatives of all orders that generalize the perturbation analysis formulae for Poisson processes. Variational methods developed for the space M allow us to obtain first and second order sufficient conditions for various types of constrained optimization problems forEÂµF. We study in detail optimization over the class of measures with a fixed total massa and develop a technique that often allows us to obtain the asymptotic behavior of the optimal intensity measure in the high intensity setting whena grows to infinity. As a particular application we consider the problem of optimal placement of stations in the Poisson model of a two-layer telecommunication network.