Digital Commons Network^™

A Robust System For Natural Spoken Dialogue, Eric K. Ringger, James F. Allen, Bradford W. Miller, Teresa Sikorski

Faculty Publications

This paper describes a system that leads us to believe in the feasibility of constructing natural spoken dialogue systems in task-oriented domains. It specifically addresses the issue of robust interpretation of speech in the presence of recognition errors. Robustness is achieved by a combination of statistical error post-correction, syntactically- and semantically-driven robust parsing, and extensive use of the dialogue context. We present an evaluation of the system using time-to-completion and the quality of the final solution that suggests that most native speakers of English can use the system successfully with virtually no training.

Measurement Of Hadron And Lepton-Pair Production From E+E- Annihilation At Centre-Of-Mass Energies Of 130 And 136 Gev, Buskulic, D.; Et Al., M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

No abstract provided.

Specifying Object-Oriented Federated Database From Existing Databases, Ee Peng Lim, M. L. Lim, J. Srivastava

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we present a mapping strategy that is based on a proposed set of DB integration operations. We first define an OO federated DB as a virtual view on multiple OO export DBs. Our DB mapping strategy systematically derives each of the class extents, deep class extents and relationships of the federated DB using an operator tree consisting of the integration operations. This mapping approach differs from the other existing approaches in that it is algebraic based, and is therefore very suitable for implementing federated query processing.

Supporting Search For Reusable Software Objects, T. Isakowitz, Robert J. Kauffman

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Prior research has shown that achieving high levels of software reuse in the presence of repository and object-based computer-aided software engineering (CASE) development methods presents interesting human, managerial and technical challenges. This article presents research that seeks to enhanced software development performance through reuse. We propose automated support for developers who search large repositories for the appropriate reusable software objects. We characterize search for repository objects in terms of a multistage model involving screening, identification, and the subsequent choice between new object construction or reusable object implementation. We propose automated support tools, including ORCA, a software Object Reuse Classification Analyzer, …

Study Of The B0sb0s Oscillation Frequency Using D-S ℓ+ Combinations In Z Decays, Buskulic, D.; Et Al., M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

A lower limit on the oscillation frequency of the B s 0 B s 0 system is obtained from approximately four million hadronic Z decays accumulated using the ALEPH detector at LEP from 1991 to 1995. Leptons are combined with opposite sign D s − candidates reconstructed in seven different decay modes as evidence of semileptonic B s 0 decays. Criteria designed to ensure precise proper time reconstruction select 277D s − ℓ + combinations. The initial state of these B s 0 candidates is determined using an algorithm optimized to efficiently utilise the tagging information available for each event. …

Towards Designing A Knowledge-Based Tutoring System : Sql-Tutor As An Example, Gang Zhou

Dissertations

A Knowledge-Based Tutoring System, also sometimes called an Intelligent Tutoring System, is a computer based instructional system that uses artificial intelligence techniques to help people learn some subject. The goal of the system is to provide private tutoring to its students based on their different backgrounds, requests, and interests. The system knows what subject materials it should teach, when and how to teach them, and can diagnose the mistakes made by the students and help them correct the mistakes.

The major objective of this dissertation is to investigate and develop a generic framework upon which we can build a Knowledge-Based …

Abstract Index Interfaces, Muralidharan Janakiraman

Dissertations and Theses

An index in a database system interacts with many of the software modules in the system. For systems supporting a wide range of index structures, interfacing the index code with the rest of the system poses a great problem. The problems are an order of magnitude more for adding new access methods to the system. These problems could be reduced manifold if common interfaces could be specified for different access methods. It would be even better, if these interfaces could be made database-system independent. This thesis addresses the problem of defining generic index interfaces for access methods in database systems. …

Contention-Free Scheduling Of Communication Induced By Array Operations On 2d Meshes, Andreas Bernhard Georg Eberhart

Dissertations and Theses

Whole array operations and array section operations are important features of many data-parallel languages. Efficient implementation of these operations on distributed-memory multicomputers is critical to the scalability and high-performance of data-parallel programs. This thesis presents an approach for analyzing communication patterns induced by array operations and for using run-time information to schedule the message flow. The distributed, dynamic scheduling algorithms guarantee link-contention-free data transfer and utilize network resources almost optimally. They incur little overhead, which is important in order not to reduce the speedup gained by the parallel execution. The algorithms can be used by compilers for the generation of …

A Brief Introduction To Formal Methods, Paul E. Black, Kelly M. Hall, Michael D. Jones, Trent N. Larson, Phillip J. Windley

Faculty Publications

As hardware designs grow in size and complexity, current design methods are proving less adequate. Current methods for specification, design, and test are typically empirical or informal, that is, they are based on experience and argument. Formal methods are solidly based on mathematical logic systems and precise rules of inference. Formal methods offer a discipline which complements current methods so designers can successfully meet the demand for high performance systems. Formal methods covers a broad and diverse set of techniques aimed at improving computer correctness. This paper explains the role of specifications and implementation models in formal methods, and different …

Probabilistic Analysis Of The Median Rule: Asymptotics And Applications, Anil Ravindran Menon, Kishan Mehrotra, Chilukuri K. Mohan, Sanjay Ranka

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Technical Reports

The solution of integer optimization problems by relaxation methods consists of three parts. First, the discrete problem is converted into a continuous optimization problem, which is generally more tractable. Second, the relaxed problem is solved efficiently, yielding a optimal solution in the continuous space. Finally, an assignment procedure is used to map this solution to a "suitable" discrete solution. One heuristic - we call it the relaxation heuristic - that often guides the choice and design of assignment algorithms is: "given a continuous optimal solution, the corresponding integer optimal solution is likely to be nearby" (with respect to some well …

New Methods In Finite First-Order Model Search, Olga Shumsky, Fikret Ercal, Ralph W. Wilkerson

Computer Science Technical Reports

An automated first-order theorem prover, armed with appropriate strategies, will find a proof of a true conjecture, but will, in theory, run indefinitely if no proof exists. In reality, if no proof exists, the execution will be terminated by user-defined constraints, such as running time or memory usage limit. In this case the the question of validity of the conjecture remains unanswered. An automated first-order model generator gives one the ability to find counterexamples, if any exist, showing that the conjecture is invalid. A model generator also helps find the illustrations of previously proved theorems. It can be viewed as …

Application Of Neural Networks To The Non-Destructive Testing Of Aluminum Cans, B. Balasubramaniam, Daniel .. Clair

Computer Science Technical Reports

Neural Networks are used to c lassify aluminum beverage containers as acceptable or non acceptable, depending upon their wall thicknesses. For each can, the thickness of the wall of the can at different points is measured using a non-destructive, ultra-sound technique. These measureI\}ents are then applied as inputs to the networks and the classification is provided as the output Three architectures, one unsupervised and two supervised, are tested. Their performances are analyzed and compared and the paradigm best suited to the problem is selected.

Computer Assisted Control Of Robotic Rock Drilling Equipment Using Rock Face Image Mapping, William Robert Macneil, Peter (C. Y.)(Chung You) Ho

Computer Science Technical Reports

Use of a totally unmanned mining robot is an ideal solution in removing humans from the dangerous underground mining environment. However, a complete autonomous system is a long way from reality. In the meantime, steps towards that goal can be made and integrated into current mining technology to take away some of the risk and stress from the miner making him more alert and the environment safer for those that do have to be undergroμnd. For our purposes here, the machine will be an automated robotic platform with the intelligence necessary for accurate placement of the drill tip on an …

Error Correction Via A Post-Processor For Continuous Speech Recognition, Eric K. Ringger, James F. Allen

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a new technique for overcoming several types of speech recognition errors by post-processing the output of a continuous speech recognizer. The post-processor output contains fewer errors, thereby making interpretation by higher-level modules, such as a parser, in a speech understanding system more reliable. The primary advantage to the post-processing approach over existing approaches for overcoming SR errors lies in its abilityto introduce options that are not available in the SR module’s output. This work provides evidence for the claim that a modern continuous speech recognizer can be used successfully in “black-box” fashion for robustly interpreting spontaneous utterances …

Compressing Semi-Structured Text Using Hierarchical Phrase Identifications, Dan R. Olsen Jr., Craig G. Nevill-Manning, Ian H. Witten

Faculty Publications

The structure of this paper is as follows. We begin by identifying some characteristics of semi-structured text that have special relevance to data compression. We then give a brief account of a particular large textual database, and describe a compression scheme that exploits its structure. In addition to providing compression, the system gives some insight into the structure of the database. Finally we show how the hierarchical grammar can be generalized, first manually and then automatically, to yield further improvements in compression performance.

Parametric Kinematic Tolerance Analysis Of Planar Mechanisms, Elisha Sacks, Leo Joskowicz

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Speech Feature Computation For Visual Speech Articulation Training, Stefan Auberg

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A new version of the Visual Speech Articulation Training Aid was implemented which provides real-time visual feedback for speech articulation training. This version was migrated to a Windows Multimedia PC from a previous version which used a Personal Computer (PC) system and additional specialized and expensive custom hardware. This new version will make the system more available to schools and private users. A new method was developed for computing spectral/temporal features which characterize the speech sounds. In addition to the typical frame-based spectral analysis parameters, the new method represents temporal changes of the spectrum with a small number of features. …

Wheels: An Automated Program Analysis Tool, Aggie Sun, Bruce Mcmillin

Computer Science Technical Reports

The understanding of program behavior is becoming vitally more important now that software is becoming an integral part of industry and everyday life. However, even the best documented code is often not sufficient enough to completely and correctly relay the actual program behavior. The problem lies beyond being familiar with the programming language and is hidden in the complex mathematics which govern the program's behavior. This behavior is not easily detected and varies from one program to the next. We propose a method for describing program behavior using two general properties of iterative programs: feasibility and progress. This method can …

Generalized Hidden Filter Markov Models Applied To Speaker Recognition, John M. Colombi

Theses and Dissertations

Classification of time series has wide Air Force, DoD and commercial interest, from automatic target recognition systems on munitions to recognition of speakers in diverse environments. The ability to effectively model the temporal information contained in a sequence is of paramount importance. Toward this goal, this research develops theoretical extensions to a class of stochastic models and demonstrates their effectiveness on the problem of text-independent (language constrained) speaker recognition. Specifically within the hidden Markov model architecture, additional constraints are implemented which better incorporate observation correlations and context, where standard approaches fail. Two methods of modeling correlations are developed, and their …

Stochastic Approximation Methods For Systems Over An Infinite Horizon, Harold J. Kushner, Felisa Vázquez-Abad

Publications and Research

The paper develops efficient and general stochastic approximation (SA) methods for improving the operation of parametrized systems of either the continuous- or discrete-event dynamical systems types and which are of interest over a long time period. For example, one might wish to optimize or improve the stationary (or average cost per unit time) performance by adjusting the systems parameters. The number of applications and the associated literature are increasing at a rapid rate. This is partly due to the increasing activity in computing pathwise derivatives and adapting them to the average-cost problem. Although the original motivation and the examples come …

Teaching Ethical Issues In Computer Science: What Worked And What Didn't, Kay G. Schulze, Frances Grodzinsky

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

It is the role of computer science educators to ensure that students have a firm foundation in the social and ethical issues of the discipline.

R-By-C Crozzle: An Np-Hard Problem, Michelle Gower, Ralph W. Wilkerson

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

In an Australian Magazine, a Monetary Prize is Awarded to the Person with the Best Answer to a Word Puzzle Called a Crozzle. the Placement of Words into a Ten by Fifteen Grid Obtaining the Highest Score is the Best Answer. Various Search Techniques Have Been Employed to Solve This Problem, Yet No One Has Shown Whether There is a Polynomial-Time Algorithm to Find the Best Crozzle. This Paper Creates a Similar Word Puzzle, Called R-By-C Crozzle, by Lifting the Constraint on the Grid Size. R-By-C Crozzle is Not in NP, But There Exists a Polynomial Reduction to It from …

Near Perfect Hash Table For Image Databases, Sanjiv K. Bhatia, Chaman Sabharwal

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

In image database systems, a perfect hash table can be used to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the image retrieval process. In our earlier work, we have proposed heuristic algorithms to compute the minimal perfect hash table from symbolic picture objects. The hash table thus computed cannot be modified easily, limiting its application to fixed databases like the ones on CD-ROMs. In this paper, we propose a new data structure to allow for insertion and deletion in the hash table. The new data structure, the near-perfect hash table, allows a limited number of collisions on some of the hash …

Data Parallel Implementation Of Surface-To-Surface Intersection, Terence M. Burke, Chaman Sabharwal

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The sequential surface-to-surface intersection algorithm has been extensively studied in the past decade. With the advent of parallel processing machines, it is desirable to parallelize this algorithm to gain extra computation speed for real time applications. An earlier attempt to parallelize this algorithm was on shared memory parallel computer due to the highly shared model of data structure [Chang 1991). A shared memory machine is not available at every location. Instead, we have implemented it on distributed parallel computer iPSC/860 with 32 processors. The initial development was done using PVM software in heterogeneous environment consisting of Sun workstations and 486's …

Wright State University College Of Engineering And Computer Science Bits And Pcs Newsletter, Volume 12, Number 2, February 1996, College Of Engineering And Computer Science, Wright State University

BITs and PCs Newsletter

A fourteen page newsletter created by the Wright State University College of Engineering and Computer Science that addresses the current affairs of the college.

Entity Identification In Database Integration, Ee Peng Lim, Jaideep Srivastava, Satya Prabhakar, James Richardson

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The objective of entity identification is to determine the correspondence between objective instances from more than one database. This paper examines the problem at the instance level assuming that schema level heterogeneity has been resolved a priori. Soundness and completeness are defined as the desired properties of any entity-identification technique. To achieve soundness, a set of identity and distinctness rules have to be established for the entities in the integrated world. We then propose the use of extended key, which is the union of keys (and possibly other attributes) from the relations to be matched, and its corresponding identity rule …

A Precise Measurement Of The Average B Hadron Lifetime, D. Buskulic, M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

An improved measurement of the average b hadron lifetime is performed using a sample of 1.5 million hadronic Z decays, collected during the 1991–1993 runs of ALEPH, with the silicon vertex detector fully operational. This uses the three-dimensional impact parameter distribution of lepton tracks coming from semileptonic b decays and yields an average b hadron lifetime of 1.533 ± 0.013 ± 0.022 ps.

Compiling Evaluable Functions In The GöDel Programming Language, David Shapiro

Dissertations and Theses

We present an extension of the Gödel logic programming language code generator which compiles user-defined functions. These functions may be used as arguments in predicate or goal clauses. They are defined in extended Gödel as rewrite rules. A translation scheme is introduced to convert function definitions into predicate clauses for compilation. This translation scheme and the compilation of functional arguments both employ leftmost-innermost narrowing. As function declarations are indistinguishable from constructor declarations, a function detection method is implemented.

The ultimate goal of this research is the implementation of extended Gödel using needed narrowing. The work presented here is …

Wright State University College Of Engineering And Computer Science Bits And Pcs Newsletter, Volume 12, Number 1, January 1996, College Of Engineering And Computer Science, Wright State University

BITs and PCs Newsletter

A twelve page newsletter created by the Wright State University College of Engineering and Computer Science that addresses the current affairs of the college.

A Library-Based Approach To Task Parallelism In A Data-Parallel Language, Ian Foster, David R. Kohr, Rakesh Krishnaiyer, Alok Choudhary

College of Engineering and Computer Science - Former Departments, Centers, Institutes and Projects

The data-parallel language High Performance Fortran (HPF) does not allow efficient expression of mixed task/data-parallel computations or the coupling of separately compiled data-parallel modules. In this paper, we show how these common parallel program structures can be represented, with only minor extensions to the HPF model, by using a coordination library based on the Message Passing Interface (MPI). This library allows data-parallel tasks to exchange distributed data structures using calls to simple communication functions. We present microbenchmark results that characterize the performance of this library and that quantify the impact of optimizations that allow reuse of communication schedules in common …