Digital Commons Network^™

The Fourth Dimension And The Theology Of Edwin Abbott Abbott, Thomas Banchoff

ACMS Journal 2004

This paper is a brief biography of Edwin Abbott Abbott, author of Flatland, and a sketch of the main ideas in the book. It also incorporates some personal reflections.

Teacher Utilization Of A Middle School Media Program: A Case Study, Earnestine T. Mccloud

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research study was to determine the effectiveness of the media center within the school environment. The components of the media center program that should be strengthened were identified. The role of the media center, teachers, and staff in facilitating media center goals and objectives were evaluated.

Permission to survey teachers of the Lemmel Middle School was granted by the assistant Superintendent of Planning and Research. The letter of introduction, the questionnaire, directions for completing the questionnaire, and self-addressed, return envelopes were placed in the teachers' mailboxes.

To facilitate in the processing of the questionnaires, the data …

Computing Hough Transforms On Hypercube Multicomputers, Sanjay Ranka, Sartaj Sahni

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Technical Reports

Efficient algorithms to compute the Hough transform on MIMD and SIMD hypercube multicomputers are developed. Our algorithms can compute p angles of the Hough transform of an N x N image, p ≤ N, in 0(p + log N) time on both MIMD and SIMD hypercubes. These algorithms require 0(N2) processors. We also consider the computation of the Hough transform on MIMD hypercubes with a fixed number of processors. Experimental results on an NCUBE/7 hypercube are presented.

Edge Contours, Donna J. Williams

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The accuracy with which a computer vision system is able to identify objects in an image is heavily dependent upon the accuracy of the low level processes that identify which points lie on the edges of an object. In order to remove noise and fine texture from an image, it is usually smoothed before edge detection is performed. This smoothing causes edges to be displaced from their actual location in the image. Knowledge about the changes that occur with different degrees of smoothing (scales) and the physical conditions that cause these changes is essential to proper interpretation of the results …

An Investigation Into The Use Of Prolog For Chinese-English Translation, J. W. L. Millar

Research outputs pre 2011

In order to undertake machine translation from Chinese to English, it is necessary to accomplish three tasks. Firstly, the Chinese characters need to be handled on the computer system in use - in this case an IBM PC/XT. Secondly, the grammar for the language has to be represented and here Prolog has been used with a Definite Clause Grammar. Finally, the lexicon must be stored in a manner that facilitates efficient retrieval. Arity Prolog provides a hash table that achieves this task. This report describes the current state of a project aimed at producing a Chinese English machine translation system.

A Microcomputer-Based Cia System Designed To Compliment Traditional Instruction In Navy Technical Training, John M. Kaiser

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

A prototype microcomputer-based CBI program was developed to provide review, structured self-study, and remediation to students undergoing initial skills training at the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC), Lakehurst, NJ. The program demonstrates the capabilities of the authoring (LSAUT) and delivery (LSSTU) programs that are parts of the Language Skills Computer Aided Instruction (LSCAI) system developed by the Navy Personnel Research and Development Center and the University of Utah. A course of instruction at NATTC, Lakehurst was selected for this project on the basis of level of training, student throughput, attrition and setback rates, and category of learning objectives. Student …

Personal Computing For The Visually Impaired, Bruce M. Mcmillin, P. Y. Mcmillin

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The problem of providing feedback from the computer to a visually impaired user is examined. The use of traditional tactile input and output (Braille) is described. The limitations of voice output are discussed, and difficulties posed by complicated screen formats and screen review are considered.

Reliable Distributed Sorting Through The Application-Oriented Fault Tolerance Paradigm, Bruce M. Mcmillin, L. M. Ni

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The design and implementation of a reliable version of the distributed bitonic sorting algorithm using the application-oriented fault tolerance paradigm on a commercial multicomputer is described. Sorting assertions in general are discussed and the bitonic sort algorithm is introduced. Faulty behavior is discussed and a fault-tolerant parallel bitonic sort developed using this paradigm is presented. The error coverage and the response of the fault-tolerant algorithm to faulty behavior are presented. Both asymptotic complexity and the results of run-time experimental measurements on an Ncube multicomputer are given. The authors demonstrate that the application-oriented fault tolerance paradigm is applicable to problems of …

Safe Computing, Bruce M. Mcmillin, T. L. Casavant

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

So-called worms, viruses, and Trojan horses that attack computer systems are defined. The vehicle that allows these attacks to occur, namely, the open computer internetwork, is examined. The problem of providing protection against attack in an internetwork environment is discussed. The need for professional responsibility on the part of the scientific and engineering community in enforcing strong ethical practices and neither tolerating nor condoning such practices is stressed.

A Definition Optimization Technique Used In A Code Translation Algorithm, David M. Dejean, George Winston Zobrist

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Data flow analysis is used to optimize variable definitions in a program that translates microprocessor object code to a higher order language. © 1989, ACM. All rights reserved.

Expectations For Associative-Commutative Unification Speedups In A Multicomputer Environment, Ralph W. Wilkerson, Bruce M. Mcmillin

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

An essential element of automated deduction systems is unification algorithms which identify general substitutions and when applied to two expressions, make them identical. However, functions which are associative and commutative, such as the usual addition and multiplication functions, often arise in term rewriting systems, program verification, the theory of abstract data types and logic programming. The introduction to the associative and commutative equality axioms together with standard unification brings with it problems of termination and unreasonably large search spaces. One way around these problems is to remove the troublesome axioms from the system and to employ a unification algorithm which …

Fault Diagnosis Using First Order Logic Tools, Ralph W. Wilkerson, Barbara A. Smith

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

An automated circuit diagnostic tool implementing R. Reiter's theory of diagnosis (1987) based on deep knowledge (i.e. knowledge based on certain design information) and using first-order logic as the representation language is discussed. In this approach, the automated diagnostician uses a description of the system structure and observations describing its performance to determine if any faults are apparent. If there is evidence that the system is faulty, the diagnostician uses the system description and observations to ascertain which component(s) would explain the behavior. In particular, Reiter's method finds all combinations of components which explain this behavior.

Automated Translation Of Digital Logic Equations Into Optimized Vhdl Code, John Evan Stark

Masters Theses

"It was desired to develop an algorithm for the automated translation of' finite slate machines from state table form to optimized VHDL form. To do this, algorithms arc needed for reducing the state machine to simplest form, making state assignments, producing minimal logic equations to represent the state machine, and producing VHDL code which describes the intended circuit. Various such algorithms were examined and a prototype program written to perform this translation"--Abstract, page ii.

Graph Coloring Algorithms On Random Graphs, Shi-Jen Lin

Doctoral Dissertations

"The graph coloring problem, which is to color the vertices of a simple undirected graph with the minimum number of colors such that no adjacent vertices are assigned the same color, arises in a variety of scheduling problems. This dissertation focuses attention on vertex sequential coloring. Two basic approaches, backtracking and branch-and-bound, serve as a foundation for the developed algorithms. The various algorithms have been programmed and applied to random graphs. This dissertation will present several variations of the Korman algorithm, Korw2, Pactual, and Pactmaxw2, which produce exact colorings quicker than the Korman algorithm in the average for some classes …

The Directed Steiner Problem On Graphs: A Simulated Annealing Approach, Lawrence Joseph Osborne

Doctoral Dissertations

"The well-known Steiner Problem on Graphs is an NP-complete problem for which there are many heuristic and exact algorithms that are deterministic. In this dissertation a new approach to the directed version of this problem is made by applying the ideas of statistical mechanics through the use of the method of simulated annealing. A version of annealing is developed for the Directed Steiner Problem and compared with one of the best general annealing schemes. Then a comparison is made between simulated annealing and the traditional branch and bound technique. The dual ascent algorithm of Richard T. Wong is used to …

Symbolic Automation And Numerical Synthesis For Robot Kinematics, Jen Sriwattanathamma, Chung You Ho

Computer Science Technical Reports

This research analyzes three topics in robot arm kinematics. First, the direct kinematics which determines the Cartesian position and orientation of the end effector for the specified values of joint parameters is analyzed. Second, the differential motions concerning the differential relationships between the command variables in position and orientation of the end effector and the joint-controlled variables are studied. Finally, the inverse kinematics which determines the joint variables for a specified Cartesian position and orientation of the end effector is considered.

This dissertation presents a methodology for incorporating the artificial intelligence types of knowledge into automating solutions for the direct …

A Parallel Implementation Of Stickel's Ac Unification Algorithm In A Message-Passing Environment, David John Kleikamp, Ralph W. Wilkerson

Computer Science Technical Reports

Unification algorithms are an essential component of automated reasoning and term rewriting systems. Unification finds a set of substitutions or unifiers that, when applied to variables in two or more terms, make those terms identical or equivalent. Most systems use Robinson's unification algorithm or some variant of it. However, terms containing functions exhibiting properties such as associativity and commutativity may be made equivalent without appearing identical. Systems employing Robinson's unification algorithm must use some mechanism separate from the unification algorithm to reason with such functions. Often this is done by incorporating the properties into a rule base and generating equivalent …

A System For The Diagnosis Of Faults Using A First Principles Approach, Barbara A. Smith, Ralph W. Wilkerson

Computer Science Technical Reports

One of the primary areas of application of Artificial Intelligence is diagnosis. Diagnosis from first principles is a diagnostic technique which uses knowledge of the designed structure and function of a device to determine the possible causes of the malfunction.

This work builds on the foundation of a theory of diagnosis by implementing and extending the theory. A correction to the algorithm which defines the theory is presented. The theory is extended for multiple sets of observations of the system and measurement data.

A fundamental problem in diagnosis is selecting the measurement which will be of the most benefit in …

The Ipe-Pc Integrated Programming Environment, Nurcan Coskun, Thomas J. Sager

Computer Science Technical Reports

An Integrated Programming Environment, IPE-PC, that supports pseudo-code development has been designed and implemented. This environment is based on a Pascal-like language which is designed according to the requirements of a language-based environment. The nucleus of IPE-PC is a language-based editor which represents programs as graphs internally. The same representation is used in every mode of the environment (i.e., editing, compilation, execution, debugging and translation). The system provides facilities to take advantage of both top-down and bottom-up programming. Stepwise refinement has been supported by providing comment structures that can be transformed into procedures. Bottom-up programming is supported because it is …

A Parallel-Processing Subsystem For Rapid 3-D Interpolation Of Ct Images, William A. Barrett, Stephen J. Allan, Scott R. Cannon

Faculty Publications

An inexpensive parallel-processing subsystem for the rapid interpolation of CT image planes is demonstrated with a variety of node topologies. The subsystem is based on a tree network of INMOS T414 Transputer processors and is hosted by an AT-based image workstation. The subsystem accepts a stack of eight arbitrarily-spaced 256 x 256 image planes from the host. Subsystem output to the host consists of a stack of 32 scaled and evenly-spaced image planes (256 x 256 x 32 with cubic voxels). Benchmark execution times ranged from 12.3 seconds for three nodes to 5.8 seconds for eight nodes.

Dynamic Display And Quantitative Analysis Of Three-Dimensional Left Ventricular Pathology, William A. Barrett, Jayaram K. Udupa

Faculty Publications

Techniques have been developed for automated extraction and dynamic interactive display of three-dimensional (3D) left ventricular (LV) surface anatomy from Cine CT images using a PC-based image display architecture. Images of both endocardial and myocardial surface anatomy are generated from multiple views at multiple time instances to demonstrate various LV pathologies including apical akinesis, apical and posterior aneurysms, LV Failure, IHSS, and a left atrial myxoma. Surface generation requires interpolation between scans, surface tracking, and rendering. Generation of 60 views corresponding to a single time instance requires approximately 15 minutes. LV dimensions are measured between two or more surface points …

Joyce Performance On A Multiprocessor, Per Brinch Hansen, Rangachari Anand

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Technical Reports

Joyce is a parallel programming language based on CSP and Pascal. The language has been moved from the IBM PC to the Encore Multimax. The paper explains how the multiprocessor implementation of Joyce was guided by performance evaluation. The measurements show that the speed-up of Joyce programs follows Amdahl’s law.

A Multiprocessor Implementation Of Joyce, Per Brinch Hansen

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Technical Reports

Joyce is a programming language for parallel computers based on CSP and Pascal. A Joyce program defines concurrent agents which communicate through unbuffered channels. This paper describes a multiprocessor implementation of Joyce.

Composite Graph Coloring Algorithms And Applications, Stephen Hong Seng Yek, Billy E. Gillett

Computer Science Technical Reports

A vertex-composite graph is a graph that can have unequal chromaticities on its vertices. Vertex-composite graph coloring or composite graph coloring involves coloring each vertex of a composite graph with consecutive colors according to the vertex's chromaticity with no two vertices adjacent to one another having the same color(s).

New heuristic algorithms including the use of the saturation degree method have been developed in this research. All eleven heuristic algorithms including Clementson and Elphick algorithms were then tested using random composite graphs with five different chromaticity distributions. The best algorithm which uses the least average colors from the experiment is …

Complete Sets Of Reductions Modulo A Class Of Equational Theories Which Generate Infinite Congruence Classes, Timothy B. Baird, Ralph W. Wilkerson

Computer Science Technical Reports

In this paper we present a generalization of the Knuth-Bendix procedure for generating a complete set of reductions modulo an equational theory. Previous such completion procedures have been restricted to equational theories which generate finite congruence classes. The distinguishing feature of this work is that we are able to generate complete sets of reductions for some equational theories which generate infinite congruence classes. In particular, we are able to handle the class of equational theories which contain the associative, commutative, and identity laws for one or more operators.

We first generalize the notion of rewriting modulo an equational theory to …

The Role Of Term Symmetry In E-Unification And E-Completion, Blayne E. Mayfield, Ralph W. Wilkerson

Computer Science Technical Reports

A major portion of the work and time involved in completing an incomplete set of reductions using an E-completion procedure such as the one described by Knuth and Bendix [070] or its extension to associative-commutative equational theories as described by Peterson and Stickel [PS81] is spent calculating critical pairs and subsequently testing them for coherence. A pruning technique which removes from consideration those critical pairs that represent redundant or superfluous information, either before, during, or after their calculation, can therefore make a marked difference in the run time and efficiency of an E-completion procedure to which it is applied.

The …

An Aeration Duct Design Model For Flat Grain Storage, Thomas C. Bridges, Douglas G. Overhults, Samuel G. Mcneill, G. M. White

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Traditionally most grain is stored in circular type bins which provide a convenient means for handling and management. With the excess grain production and government loan programs of the past few years, some producers have used rectangular structures and covered piles to complement their round storages. The recommended management practices used with round bins are still required in those alternative storages and may be more critical in obtaining a quality end product.

One such recommended practice used with round bins is aeration. This practice is used to maintain a uniform temperature in the grain mass, preventing condensation and "hot" spots …

Dc-Free Coset Codes, Robert H. Deng, M. A. Herro

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

An upper bound on the bit-error probability (BEP) of a linear cyclic code over GF(2l) with hard-decision (HD) maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding on memoryless symmetric channels is derived. Performance results are presented for Reed-Solomon codes on GF(32), GF(64), and GF(128). Also, a union upper bound on the BEP of a linear cyclic code with either hard- or soft-decision ML decoding is developed, as well as the corresponding bounds for the extended code of a linear cyclic code. Using these bounds, which are tight at low bit error rate, the performance advantage of soft-decision (SD) ML and HD ML over bounded-distance (BD) …

Automated Circuit Diagnosis Using First Order Logic Tools, Barbara Smith, Ralph W. Wilkerson, Gerald E. Peterson, Mcdonnell Douglas

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

While Numerous Diagnostic Expert Systems Have Been Successfully Developed in Recent Years, They Are Almost Uniformly based on Heuristic Reasoning Techniques (I.e., Shallow Knowledge) in the Form of Rules. This Paper Reports on an Automated Circuit Diagnostic Tool based on Reiter's Theory of Diagnosis. in Particular, this is a Theory of Diagnosis based on Deep Knowledge (I.e., Knowledge based on Certain Design Information) and using First Order Logic as the Representation Language. the Inference Mechanism Which is Incorporated as Part of the Diagnostic Tool is a Refutation based Theorem Prover using Rewriting Systems for Boolean Algebra Developed by Hsiang. Consequently, …

Implementing Ray Tracing Algorithm In Parallel Environment, Tjah Jadi

Dissertations and Theses

Ray tracing is a very popular rendering algorithm in the field of computer graphics because it can generate highly-realistic images from three-dimensional models. Unfortunately, the computational cost is very expensive. To speed up the rendering process we present both static and dynamic scheduling (balancing) strategies for a multiprocessor system. Hence, the load balancing among the processors is the most important problem in parallel processing. The implementation of the algorithm is based on a modified octree structure.