Computer Engineering Commons^™

Evaluation Of Robocode As A Teaching Tool For Computer Programming, Arnold Hensman

Conference Papers

Robocode began as an educational tool to aid in learning Java programming. It has since evolved into something of a phenomenon, as the prospect of creating simple to complex virtual tanks appears to pose an attractive challenge to both novice and expert programmers alike. What started out as a teaching tool has grown into a worldwide network of competitors, all keen to prove that their ‘bot’ stands out from the crowd. Competitions are well organised and many Robocode events are a PR dream for the computing companies that sponsor them. Without a doubt, this easy to use application has sparked ...

What Is Rcu, Fundamentally?, Paul E. Mckenney, Jonathan Walpole

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Read-copy update (RCU) is a synchronization mechanism that was added to the Linux kernel in October of 2002. RCU achieves scalability improvements by allowing reads to occur concurrently with updates. In contrast with conventional locking primitives that ensure mutual exclusion among concurrent threads regardless of whether they be readers or updaters, or with reader-writer locks that allow concurrent reads but not in the presence of updates, RCU supports concurrency between a single updater and multiple readers. RCU ensures that reads are coherent by maintaining multiple versions of objects and ensuring that they are not freed up until all pre-existing read-side ...

Self-Organizing Neural Architectures And Cooperative Learning In A Multiagent Environment, Dan Xiao, Ah-Hwee Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Temporal-Difference–Fusion Architecture for Learning, Cognition, and Navigation (TD-FALCON) is a generalization of adaptive resonance theory (a class of self-organizing neural networks) that incorporates TD methods for real-time reinforcement learning. In this paper, we investigate how a team of TD-FALCON networks may cooperate to learn and function in a dynamic multiagent environment based on minefield navigation and a predator/prey pursuit tasks. Experiments on the navigation task demonstrate that TD-FALCON agent teams are able to adapt and function well in a multiagent environment without an explicit mechanism of collaboration. In comparison, traditional Q-learning agents using gradient-descent-based feedforward neural networks, trained ...

"Conversational" Dialogues In Direct-Manipulation Interfaces, David G. Novick

David G. Novick

This paper reports ongoing research in extending direct-manipulation interfaces by incorporating, via the direct-manipulation modality itself, interaction techniques that add kinds of language features associated with spoken conversation. The paper proposes means of implementing ways for a user of a direct-manipulation system to define new kinds of relations among objects in the interface.

Users And Uses Of Synchronous Business Communications Software, David G. Novick, Eleanor Wynn

David G. Novick

To help designers and authors understand users' intentions and work practices for synchronous business communications in a systematic way, we used ethnographic and task-analytic techniques to collect, analyze and classify evidence of the activities of potential users as they conducted their work lives. The interactions we observed among our users took place through a variety of modalities. We found eight categories of tasks for the collaborative or interactive work in which our subjects engaged. Based on these data, we were able to classify roles of potential users of synchronous business communications software into a set of "archetypes" that characterize their ...

Hands-Free Documentation, Karen Ward, David G. Novick

David G. Novick

In this paper, we introduce an analysis of the requirements and design choices for hands-free documentation. Hands-busy tasks such as cooking or car repair may require substantial interruption of the task: moving the pan off the burner and wiping hands, or crawling out from underneath the car. We review the need for hands-free documentation and explore the role of task in the use of documentation. Our central analysis examines the roles and characteristics of input and output modalities of hands-free documentation. In particular, we review the use of speech as an input modality, and then visual means and speech as ...

An Interaction Initiative Model For Documentation, David G. Novick, Karen Ward

David G. Novick

In this paper we propose a model of creation and use of documentation based on the concept of mixed-initiative interaction. In our model, successful single-initiative interaction is characterized by grounding of contributions, and successful mixed-initiative interaction is characterized by both grounding and agreement. Just as in spoken conversation, achievement of actual agreement depends on the intentions of both parties; agreement is achieved when the reader follows the documentation’s instructions. In fact, readers are not obligated to—and often do not—act according to the author’s intentions. By making these dynamics explicit, the model can aid authors in developing ...

Assessing Effectiveness Of Personality Style In Documentation, Kenneth Sayles, David G. Novick

David G. Novick

This paper extends previous work by other researchers that indicated that users of computers preferred a computer with a personality that was similar to theirs. We conducted a similar experiment, but looking beyond preference to see if the personality of documentation would make a difference in the user’s performance. Our data suggest did not indicate that personality match affects performance; and if such a relationship exists it is likely to be weak. We discuss the related research, describe our methodology, present our results, and describe their implications and limitations.

A Two-Phase Approach To Interactivity Enhancement For Large-Scale Distributed Virtual Environments, Nguyen Binh Duong Ta, Suiping Zhou

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Distributed virtual environments (DVEs) are distributed systems that allow multiple geographically distributed clients (users) to interact simultaneously in a computer-generated, shared virtual world. Applications of DVEs can be seen in many areas nowadays, such as online games, military simulations, collaborative designs, etc. To support large-scale DVEs with real-time interactions among thousands or even more distributed clients, a geographically distributed server architecture (GDSA) is generally needed, and the virtual world can be partitioned into many distinct zones to distribute the load among the servers. Due to the geographic distributions of clients and servers in such architectures, it is essential to efficiently ...

Web Site Personalization Based On Link Analysis And Navigational Patterns, Magdalini Eirinaki, Michalis Vazirgiannis

Magdalini Eirinaki

The continuous growth in the size and use of the World Wide Web imposes new methods of design and development of online information services. The need for predicting the users' needs in order to improve the usability and user retention of a Web site is more than evident and can be addressed by personalizing it. Recommendation algorithms aim at proposing “next” pages to users based on their current visit and past users' navigational patterns. In the vast majority of related algorithms, however, only the usage data is used to produce recommendations, disregarding the structural properties of the Web graph. Thus ...

Ceg 221: Advanced C Programming For Engineers, Robert Helt

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course introduces advanced constructs, algorithms, and data structures in the C programming language. Emphasis is on problem solving and techniques useful to engineers. Topics include functions, array, pointers, structures as well as sorting algorithms, linked lists, complex numbers, stacks, queues, hash tables, and binary trees. 4 credit hours. Prerequisite: CEG220 (Introduction to C Programming for Engineers).

Ceg 436/636 Mobile Computing, Yong Pei

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

Increasingly, people, computers and microelectronic devices are being linked together to bring to life the communications mantra: anybody, anything, anytime, anywhere. This junior/senior/graduate course provides an in-depth study of networking protocol and system design in the area of wireless networking and mobile computing. It will help engineering and computer science students establish a solid foundation in concepts, architecture, design, and performance evaluation of mobile computing principle, protocols and applications. It will also introduce students to a few hot topics in wireless networking and mobile computing research such as mobile IP, wireless TCP, 802.11, agent techniques, etc. The ...

Ceg 724: Computer Vision I, Arthur A. Goshtasby

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course covers basic techniques for low-level and some mid-level vision. The techniques include: camera geometry, image filtering and edge detection, color and texture analysis, image segmentation, and stereo depth perception.

Ceg 790: Emerging Networks, Bin Wang

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This is a graduate level course on emerging networking technologies. The course involves a reading/lecture/presentation/discussion component, paper review component, and a project component. It will provide an in-depth study on a number of focused areas: dense wavelength division multiplexing (D\VDM) optical networks, optical burst switching networks, peer-to-peer networks, and wireless mobile networks (including Ad-hoc wireless networks, sensor networks). Various technical and research issues involved will be studied. These areas of emerging networking technologies will play central roles in future communication networks.

Ceg 453/653: Embedded Systems, Jack Jean

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Cs 240: Computer Programming I, L. Jane Lin

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

Basic concepts of programming and programming languages are introduced. Emphasis is on structured programming and stepwise refinement.

Cs 214: Visual Basic Programming, Michael Ondrasek

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course provides a general introduction to the fundamentals of object computer programming. Examples from and applications to a broad range of problems are given. No prior knowledge of programming is assumed. However, students should have a familiarity with programming concepts. The concepts covered will be applied in the Visual Basic programming language. 4 credit hours.

Cs 340: Programming Language Workshop In Python, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course is designed as a self-study in Python. You are expected to learn the language and solve a set of programming problems assigned to you from Dietel et al using Python 2.5 available from http://www.python.org. There are no exams. We officially meet only once in the quarter. However, I will be available in the posted office hours for clarifications and discussions about the programming problems.

Cs 208: Computer Programming For Business I, Dennis Kellermeier

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

CS 208 is the first of a two quarter sequence in programming for business students. It is required for Management Information Science majors. The courses are designed to help students achieve a high degree of facility in intermediate level programming. This course assumes students have never written a program before.

Cs 410/610: Theoretical Foundations Of Computing, Thomas Sudkamp

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course is an introduction to one of the fundamental topics in the theory of computer science: computability theory. Computability theory is concerned with determining whether there is an algorithmic solution to a problem. The study of computability uses the Turing machine as the basic computational model. A Turing machine is a random access, read-write, finite state automaton. Although the Turing machine provides a simple computational framework, the Church-Turing thesis asserts that any problem that can be solved in any algorithmic manner can be solved by a Turing machine.

Cs 409/609: Principles Of Artificial Intelligence, Shaojun Wang

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course is an introduction to artificial intelligence. We will cover the most fundamental yet important algorithms and methods in this field and illustrate application areas such as natural language processing, speech recognition, computer vision and robotics.

Cs 466/666: Introduction To Formal Languages, Guozhu Dong

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

CS 466/666 is an introduction to formal language and automata theory. In this course we will examine methods for defining syntax of languages and recognizing patterns: the syntax of languages can be defined using grammars and patterns accepted by finite state machines. Along with presenting the fundamentals of these two topics, the course will develop and investigate the relationships between language definition and pattern recognition. The text will be the third edition of Languages and Machines: An Introduction to the Theory of Computer Science, by Thomas Sudkamp.

Cs/Bio 471/671: Algorithms For Bioinformatics, Michael L. Raymer

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

Theory-oriented approach to the application of contemporary algorithms to bioinformatics. Graph theory, complexity theory, dynamic programming and optimization techniques are introduced in the context of application toward solving specific computational problems in molecular genetics. 4 credit hours.

Cs 784: Programming Languages, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course introduces concepts related to the specification and design of high-level programming languages. It discusses different programming paradigms, algebraic specification and implementation of data types, and develops interpreters for specifying operationally the various programming language features/constructs. It also introduces attribute grammar formalism and axiomatic semantics briefly. The programming assignments will be coded in Scheme.

Cs 240: Computer Science I, Eric Maston

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This is the initial course in the Introduction to Computer Science series. Beginning concepts and programming will be discussed and taught in this course. This course will use Java as the language of implementation.

Ceg 210: Pc Networking I, Karen Meyer

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

Introduction to PC networking hardware, concepts, and technologies. Focus is on LAN administration, hardware and software configuration.

Ceg 720: Computer Architecture I, Soon M. Chung

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

Review of sequential computer architecture and study of parallel computers. Topics include memory hierarchy, reduced instruction set computer, pipeline processing, multiprocessing, various parallel computers, interconnection networks, and fault-tolerant computing.

Ceg 433/633: Operating Systems, Thomas Wischgoll

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

By the end of this quarter, you should be able to apply the concepts above to the following:

• Develop, test and debug programs in Unix.

• Improve the performance of programs by tuning virtual memory usage, and file io.

• Design and construct device drivers for Unix.

• Design and build newer file systems for any OS.

Ceg 320/520: Computer Organization, Michael L. Raymer

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Ceg 476/676: Computer Graphics I, Thomas Wischgoll

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

By the end of this quarter, you will have learned techniques for constructing 2-D and 3-D objects as well as manipulating and rendering the objects using OpenGL.