ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
Efficient Exploration In Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Sebastian B. Thrun
Venue:  (1992)

Exploration plays a fundamental role in any active learning system. This study evaluates the role of exploration in active learning and describes several local techniques for exploration in finite, discrete domains, embedded in a reinforcement learning framework (delayed reinforcement). This paper distinguishes between two families of exploration schemes: undirected and directed exploration. While the former family is closely related to random walk exploration, directed exploration techniques memorize exploration-specific knowledge which is used for guiding the exploration search. In many finite deterministic domains, any learning technique based on undirected exploration is inefficient in terms of learning time, i.e., learning time is expected to scale exponentially with the size of the state space. We prove that for all these domains, reinforcement learning using a directed technique can always be performed in polynomial time, demonstrating the important role of exploration in reinforcement learning. (The proof is given for one specific directed exploration technique named counter-based exploration.) Subsequently, several exploration techniques found in recent reinforcement learning and connectionist adaptive control literature are described. In order to trade off efficiently between exploration and exploitation --- a trade-off which characterizes many real-world active learning tasks --- combination methods are described which explore and avoid costs simultaneously. This includes a selective attention mechanism, which allows smooth switching between exploration and exploitation. All techniques are evaluated and compared on a discrete reinforcement learning task (robot navigation). The empirical evaluation is followed by an extensive discussion of benefits and limitations of this work.
Design and Development of Spoken Natural-Language Dialog Parsing Systems
Authors: Richard D Hipp
Venue:  (1993)

The development of a practical spoken language dialog system is fraught with difficulties. This thesis describes the following three problems relating to the natural language parsing and presents a workable solution for each: \begin{enumerate} \item The parser in a voice dialog system must contend with ill-formed inputs. Because the parser receives its input from a speech recognizer, the input will often contain misrecognitions. Also, the user''s original speech may be elliptical, telegraphic, or otherwise grammatically ill-formed. The thesis describes a new parsing strategy aimed at overcoming the ill-formedness of dialog speech. A new algorithm for {\em minimum-distance parsing} is used to decode the structure in the user''s utterance, and {\em syntax-directed translation} is used to convert the utterance into an internal representation. Finally, {\em dialog expectation} is used to resolve ambiguity, anaphora, and ellipsis in the input utterance. In experimental tests, the new parser found the correct interpretation for 83\% of 2804 utterances even though only 48\% of those utterances were syntactically well-formed. \item The development of a natural language grammar for a speech dialog system becomes increasingly difficult as the size of the grammar increases. This thesis describes several new algorithms collected into an integrated grammar development system which simplifies the task of developing a large natural language grammar. This system allows the user to focus on the small subset of the grammar which is of immediate interest, and thereby allow for faster, easier, and more error free editing. Diagnostic and performance information may also be obtained. \item Regardless of the parsing strategy used, the parser will sometimes make mistakes. This thesis describes a subsystem which uses verification subdialogs to selectively verify meanings output by the parser. The propensity of the system to verify a given input is easily adjusted so as to provide any required level of effective parsing accuracy. Experimental data shows that verification can raise the effective accuracy of the parser from 83\% to 97\% without excessive burden to the user. \end {enumerate} The ACM Portal is published by the Association for Computing Machinery. Copyright © 2010 ACM, Inc. Terms of Usage Privacy Policy Code of Ethics Contact Us Useful downloads: Adobe Acrobat QuickTime Windows Media Player Real Player
Ontario Hydro/AECL standards for software engineering deficiencies in existing standards that created their need
Authors: P. K. Joannou, J. Harauz
Venue: Proceedings of the 2nd IEEE Software Engineering Standards Symposium (1995)

There currently exists a plethora of standards for software engineering, with IEEE having the most comprehensive set. Despite the abundance of standards, Ontario Hydro and Atomic Energy Canada Ltd (AECL) found that the existing standards did not meet our needs and hence undertook to write our own standards for software engineering. This paper outlines our requirements for standards for software engineering, assesses existing standards against them and describes the framework of standards that was developed by Ontario Hydro and AECL to meet our requirements.
An Assertional Characterization of Serializability and Locking
Authors: E. R McCurley
Venue:  (1988)

The problem of synchronizing transactions in a database system so that concurrent execution transforms the system from one consistent state to another is called the Concurrency Control Problem. Over the past 20 years, a property of concurrent execution called serializability has evolved as a universal paradign for colving the Concurrency Control Problem. Up until now, most work on serializability has been characterized by an emphasis on sequences of operations. Researchers studying programming logics and methodologies have developed a different approach to characterizing the semantics of concurrent programs. This approach is called assertional reasoning, and emphasizes the system state instead of sequences of operations. This dissertation describes the extension of the formalisms and tools of assertional reasoning to the Concurrency Control Problem. Proposed is a definition of serializability that generalizes previous definitions in many respects. Two methods are described by which this definition of serializability can be specified in an assertional programming logic using formulas called proof outlines. As a consequence of specifying serializability with proof outlines, it becomes possible to formally verify serializability. The use of an assertional programming logic eliminates the need to explicitly consider transaction interleavings, simplifying verfication. Another consequence of specifying serializability with proof outlines is the ability to derive synchronization protocols for serializability. This possibility is realized in the form of a method for deriving locking protocols from assertional specifications. The method is based on a novel view of locking, in which locks held by transactions reflect properties of the system state. Using this method, semantic information available during the derivation process can be used to obtain locking protocols permiting greater concurrency among transactions than locking protocols obtained by more traditional methods. Examples are given throughout the dissertation to illustrate the methods described.
Performance analysis of an AAL multiplexer with dynamic bandwidth allocation in an IP/ATM environment
Authors: Dong Hwan Han, Chul Geun Park, Kwang Hyun Baik
Venue: Computers and Operations Research (2003)

In this paper, we present a discrete-time queueing model with a Markov modulated batch Bernoulli process (MMBBP) as a bursty input traffic model of internet protocol packets in order to investigate the performance of a ATM adaptation layer (AAL) multiplexer with a finite buffer and a threshold-based dynamic bandwidth allocation scheme (DBAS): As a deterministic service time, we use the segmentation processing time devoted to a cell payload in the AAL multiplexer. This service time consists of several slot times and varies in line with threshold levels of the buffer contents. In an MMBBP process, the arrivals during a slot time occur as batch Bernoulli processes with a general distribution of batch sizes varying according to the phases of a Markov chain. We obtain the loss probability and the mean delay of an arbitrary packet. We present some numerical results to show the effects of the burstiness and thresholds on the performance of the AAL multiplexer with a DBAS.
Verification of Fair Transition Systems
Authors: Orna Kupferman, Moshe Y. Vardi
Venue:  (1996)

In {\em program verification\/}, we check that an {\em implementation\/} meets its {\em specification}. Both the specification and the implementation describe the possible behaviors of the program, though at different levels of abstraction. We distinguish between two approaches to implementation of specifications. The first approach is {\em trace-based implementation}, where we require every computation of the implementation to correlate to some computation of the specification. The second approach is {\em tree-based implementation}, where we require every computation tree embodied in the implementation to correlate to some computation tree embodied in the specification. The two approaches to implementation are strongly related to the linear-time versus branching-time dichotomy in temporal logic. In this work we examine the trace-based and the tree-based approaches from a {\em complexity-theoretic\/} point of view. We consider and compare the complexity of verification of {\em fair transition systems}, modeling both the implementation and the specification, in the two approaches. We consider {\em unconditional, weak\/}, and {\em strong\/} fairness. For the trace-based approach, the corresponding problem is {\em fair containment}. For the tree-based approach, the corresponding problem is {\em fair simulation}. We show that while both problems are PSPACE-complete, their complexities in terms of the size of the implementation do not coincide and the trace-based approach is easier. As the implementation is normally much bigger than the specification, we see this as an advantage of the trace-based approach. Our results are at variance with the known results for the case of transition systems with no fairness, where no approach is evidently advantageous.
Digital Photography with PhotoShop Elements, 1 edition
Authors: Gavin Cromhout, Josh Fallon
Venue:  (2002)

:Digital Photography with Photoshop Elements is the complete one stop learning package for new users or users wanting to brush up their image manipulation techniques.Equipped with the software, the source files and full color images, together with the authors' perceptive and down-to-earth style, learning to create amazing photos with Photoshop Elements couldn't be easier!
Functional equations arising in a theory of rank dependence and homogeneous joint receipts
Authors: János Aczél, R. Duncan Luce, Che Tat Ng
Venue: Journal of Mathematical Psychology (2003)

This paper focuses on a class of utility representation of uncertain alternatives with two possible consequences (binary gambles) when they are linked via a distributivity property called segregation to an operation of joint receipt, which may be non-commutative. The assumption that the gambling structure and the joint receipt operation both have homogeneous representation that are order preserving leads to a functional equation that has too many solutions to be useful for charaterizing a reasonably specific utility representation. A plausible restriction on the form of the utility of gambles leads to the functional equation H[pw,qK(w)]= qθ-1[Φ(w)θ(p/q)] (w ∈ [0,1], q ∈[0,k]p ∈ [q,k]) whose solution shows that it is equivalent to the widely studied rank-dependent representation. That reperesentation is related to segregation via a particular homogeneous representation of joint receipt. In that case the above functional equation simplifies to G[υF(z)]= A(υ) G(υz) + G(υ) (υ >0 ,z≥0), and it is solved under smoothness conditions. Two families of solutions arise, one commutative and associative and the other noncommutative and bisymmetric, but not associative. These are then interpreted in utility terms. The former is well studied. Parallel to earlier results for the commutative case, an axiomatic treatment of the non-commutative case is provided. An application to psychophysics favours non-commutativity. Several open problems are mentioned.
Changing Dynamics of Global Computer Software and Services Industry: Implications for Developing Countries
Authors: United Nations
Venue:  (2002)

:The computer software industry has the potential to become one of the most internationally dispersed high-tech industries. The last two decades saw high growth rates of this sector and a dramatic increase in the spread of computer software and services world-wide. This paper explores the issues surrounding the development of the computer software and services industry; examines how intellectual property rights affect their establishment and growth in developing countries, and discusses the implications from that for policy formulation.
Computing the Newtonian Graph (Extended abstract)
Authors: Dexter Kozen, Kjartan Stefansson
Venue:  (1993)

A polynomial $f\in \complex[z]$ defines a vector field $N_f(z) = -f(z)/f''(z)$ on $\complex$. Certain degenerate curves of flow in $N_f$ give the edges of the Newtonian graph, as defined by \cite{Sma85}. These give a relation between the roots of $f$ and $f''$, much similar to the linear order, when $f$ has real roots only. We give a purely algebraic algorithm to compute the Newtonian graph and the basins of attraction in the Newtonian field. The resulting structure can be used to query whether two points in $\complex$ are within the same basin of attraction. This gives us an algebraic approach to root-finding using Newton''s method. This method extends to rational functions and more generally to any functions on $\complex$ whose flow is algebraic over $\complex(e)$.
Implicational Complexity in Intuitionistic Arithmetic
Authors: Daniel Leivant
Venue:  (1980)

NO SUPPLIED
Generic Engineering of Communication Protocols - Current Experience and Future Issues
Authors: Birgit Geppert, Frank Roessler
Venue: Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Formal Engineering Methods (1997)

We present an approach to the generic engineering of communication protocols, which combines pattern-based software engineering with the formal description technique (FDT) SDL. Our approach has the potential to reduce the effort for protocol design and assures high quality of the resulting communication subsystem. Actually, we suggest to keep a pool of reusable SDL patterns, which use FDTs to describe generic solutions for recurring design problems. According to specific communication requirements a protocol designer can then select patterns, which are suitably adapted and finally composed to build part of the resulting protocol specification.
Improving Retrieval Performance by Relevance Feedback
Authors: Gerard Salton, Chris Buckley
Venue:  (1988)

Relevance feedback is an automatic process, introduced over 20 years ago, designed to produce query formulations following an initial retrieval operation. The principal relevance feedback methods described over the years are examined briefly, and evaluation data are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the various methods. Prescriptions are given for conducting text retrieval operations iteratively using relevance feedback.
Special Year on Logic and Algorithms Tutorial Notes: Expressive Powers of Logics (Tutorial Lectures by Phokion Kolaitis)
Authors: Phokion Kolaitis
Venue:  (1997)

The 1995-1996 DIMACS Special Year on Logic and Algorithms began with three week-long tutorial sessions on the topics of the special year: Finite Model Theory Proof Complexity Computer-Aided Verification These notes on the lectures given by Phokion Kolaitis were compiled by Eric Allender from the notes supplied by Randall J. Pruim, Brenda J. Latka, Jim Rogers, Maria-Luisa Bonet, and Kousha Etessami.
Specification and Analysis of Timed and Functional TRMCS Behaviours
Authors: Mauro Cioffi, Flavio Corradini
Venue: Proceedings of the 10th International Workshop on Software Specification and Design (2000)

In this paper, different specifications of the Remote Medical Care System are given by concentrating on both functional behaviour and timed behaviour. The analysis of these specifications puts forward critical system states that should be dealt with care during the system implementation. Full details on the design decisions are given.
A Fast Approximation Algorithm for Maximum-Leaf Spanning Tree
Authors: Hsueh-I Lu, R. Ravi
Venue: Proceedings of the 1997 International Symposium on Parallel Architectures, Algorithms and Networks (1997)

Given an undirected graph G, finding a spanning tree of G with maximum number of leaves is not only NP-complete but also MAX~SNP-complete. The approximation ratio of the previously best known approximation algorithm for maximum leaf spanning tree is three. However, the high-order running time required by the previous algorithm makes it impractical. In this paper we give a new factor-three approximation algorithm for the same problem. The running time required by our algorithm is almost linear in the size of G. This improves the previous algorithm by a factor of \tilde{\Omega}(mn^4), where n is the number of nodes and m is the number of edges.
Domination numbers and homology
Authors: Roy Meshulam
Venue: Journal of Combinatorial Theory Series A (2003)

Let I(G) denote the independence complex of a graph G = (V, E). Some relations between domination numbers of G and the homology of I(G) are given. As a consequence the following Hall-type conjecture of Aharoni is proved: Let γs*(G) denote the fractional star-domination number of G and let V =∪i=1m Vi be a partition of V into m classes.If γs*(G[∪i∈I Vi]) > |I| - 1 for all I ⊂ {1,...,m} then G contains an independent set which intersects all m classes.
A framework for building learning organizations
Authors: Sushil K. Sharma, Jatinder N. D. Gupta
Venue: Critical reflections on information systems: a systemic approach (2003)

The concept of the learning organization that strives continually to develop its people and processes will be an accepted philosophy of all competitive organizations in the future. Organizations are increasingly being challenged to leverage learning, as it has been widely articulated that knowledge creation and continuous learning at the individual, team, and organizational levels may be the only source of sustainable competitive advantage. Continuous learning is essential for surviving let alone prospering, in dynamic and competitive environments. Because of this increased emphasis on learning, there has been a tremendous interest in the concept of learning organizations and the capabilities required to build learning organizations. Organizations of the future will not be able to expand into new markets and win market share unless they have a framework (technologies, people, processes, and methodologies) to use their past knowledge to gain a competitive advantage. Organizations of the 21st century have to use the latest information technology and methodologies that can enable them to be cost effective, faster, flexible, and more competitive. Despite the growing interest in learning organizations, there are knowledge gaps in understanding about how to exploit technologies to create a suitable framework for learning organization. Our chapter attempts to suggest a framework for building learning organizations and shows the use of systemic approach to implement our proposed framework to create learning organizations.
Modeling Crosstalk Induced Delay
Authors: Chung-Kuan Tsai, Malgorzata Marek-Sadowska
Venue: Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Quality Electronic Design (2003)

The amplitude of coupled noise is often used in estimatingthe crosstalk effect. Coupling noise-induced delay measuresthe impact of crosstalk on circuit performance. Efficientcomputation of worst case noise-induced delays areessential, because such calculations are performed a hugenumber of times during timing analysis. In this paper weanalyze the problem of crosstalk noise-induced delay in onelogic stage. We observe that the popular method of crosstalkdelay computation based on superposition of the victim'sswitching waveform and the noise waveform determinedwhen the victim is quiet, produces an underestimation of delay.To capture the crosstalk noise-induced delay, we introducethe concept of dynamic coupling noise waveform. Wepropose a method of synthesizing the dynamic noise waveformand using it to estimate the delay change.
A QoS-Ensured Transmission Scheme with Content-Based Priority for Mobile Cluster Users
Authors: Wang Xin Susumu Ishihara, Tadanori Mizuno, Li Fei
Venue: Proceedings of the 2000 International Workshop on Parallel Processing (2000)

As the increasing of mobile hosts and hand sets, communications between mobile users become popular and important. By a mobile cluster network, we could realize cooperation and resources share among mobile users. In this paper, we propose a QoS-ensured transmission scheme with content-based priority for mobile cluster users. In our scheme, some mobile hosts form a mobile cluster network, which is a kind of Lan. All mobile hosts will share the total capacities of the cluster network and the outside interface. We divide all mobile hosts into different priority degrees based on the content type of them. As a result, we could realize making good use of the bandwidth resources of the total system under the condition that the arrival traffic is asymmetric. We could also realize optimizing the performance of high priority traffic under the condition that the total system lies in overload status.
Tactual Displays for Wearable Computing
Authors: Hong Z. Tan, Alex Pentland
Venue: Proceedings of the 1st IEEE International Symposium on Wearable Computers (1997)

This paper provides a general overview of tactual displays (i.e., devices that communicate to a user through the sense of touch) and issues concerning the development of such displays for wearable computing. A wearable tactile directional display is presented. It takes advantage of a sensory phenomenon called "sensory saltation" and simulates directional lines and simple geometric patterns dynamically. Initial results indicate that this information is intuitive and easy to interpret even for first-time users, and interpretations are highly consistent among observers. Several applications of this tactile directional display for wearable computing are proposed.
Abstraction and Composition Techniques for Reconfiguration of Large-Scale Complex Applications
Authors: Alvin S. Lim
Venue: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Configurable Distributed Systems (1996)

Complex distributed applications are often developed incrementally while they are in active use. Programming and runtime environments must allow software designers to make these changes easily and efficiently. This must be provided within the appropriate framework for modeling, analysis and correct execution that is essential for complex applications. The key to supporting reconfiguration of large-scale applications is providing efficient abstraction and composition mechanisms. By separating specification of well-defined components from the component interaction and composition behavior, we allow designers to implement easily replaceable components and changeable interaction behavior. The abstraction mechanism simplifies development of large-scale reconfigurable applications by hiding implementation details. The facility also include automatic analytical tools for checking consistency, reachability and dependency in the behavior of interacting components. These tools are essential for development and runtime support of large-scale and reconfigurable decentralized applications.