Theory and Algorithms Commons^™

Closing The Gap: Leveraging Aes-Ni To Balance Adversarial Advantage And Honest User Performance In Argon2i, Nicholas Harrell, Nathaniel Krakauer

CERIAS Technical Reports

The challenge of providing data privacy and integrity while maintaining efficient performance for honest users is a persistent concern in cryptography. Attackers exploit advances in parallel hardware and custom circuit hardware to gain an advantage over regular users. One such method is the use of Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) to optimize key derivation function (KDF) algorithms, giving adversaries a significant advantage in password guessing and recovery attacks. Other examples include using graphical processing units (GPUs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). We propose a focused approach to close the gap between adversarial advantage and honest user performance by leveraging the …

Enhancing Search Engine Results: A Comparative Study Of Graph And Timeline Visualizations For Semantic And Temporal Relationship Discovery, Muhammad Shahiq Qureshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In today’s digital age, search engines have become indispensable tools for finding information among the corpus of billions of webpages. The standard that most search engines follow is to display search results in a list-based format arranged according to a ranking algorithm. Although this format is good for presenting the most relevant results to users, it fails to represent the underlying relations between different results. These relations, among others, can generally be of either a temporal or semantic nature. A user who wants to explore the results that are connected by those relations would have to make a manual effort …

Hiking Trail Generation In Infinite Landscapes, Matthew Jensen

MS in Computer Science Project Reports

This project procedurally generates an infinite wilderness populated with deterministic hiking trails. Our approach recognizes that hiking trails depend on contextual information beyond the location of the path itself. To address this, we implemented a layered procedural system that orchestrates the generation process. This helps ensure the availability of contextual data at each stage. The first layer handles terrain generation, establishing the foundational landscape upon which trails will traverse. Subsequent layers handle point of interest identification and selection, trail network optimization through proximity graphs, and efficient pathfinding across the terrain. A notable feature of our approach is the deterministic nature …

The Locals Casino As A Social Network – Can An Interconnected Community Of Players Detect Differences In Hold?, Jason D. Fiege, Anastasia (Stasi) D. Baran

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract

It is difficult for individual players to detect differences in theoretical hold between slot machines without playing an unrealistically large number of games. This difficulty occurs because the fractional loss incurred by a player converges only slowly to the theoretical hold in the presence of volatility designed into slot pay tables. Nevertheless, many operators believe that players can detect changes in hold or differences compared to competition, especially in a locals casino market, and therefore resist increasing holds. Instead of investigating whether individual players can detect differences in hold, we ask whether a population of casino regulars who share …

Algorithmic Bias: Causes And Effects On Marginalized Communities, Katrina M. Baha

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Individuals from marginalized backgrounds face different healthcare outcomes due to algorithmic bias in the technological healthcare industry. Algorithmic biases, which are the biases that arise from the set of steps used to solve or analyze a problem, are evident when people from marginalized communities use healthcare technology. For example, many pulse oximeters, which are the medical devices used to measure oxygen saturation in the blood, are not able to accurately read people who have darker skin tones. Thus, people with darker skin tones are not able to receive proper health care due to their pulse oximetry data being inaccurate. This …

Procedural Level Generation For A Top-Down Roguelike Game, Kieran Ahn, Tyler Edmiston

Honors Thesis

In this file, I present a sequence of algorithms that handle procedural level generation for the game Fragment, a game designed for CMSI 4071 and CMSI 4071 in collaboration with students from the LMU Animation department. I use algorithms inspired by graph theory and implementing best practices to the best of my ability. The full level generation sequence is comprised of four algorithms: the terrain generation, boss room placement, player spawn point selection, and enemy population. The terrain generation algorithm takes advantage of tree traversal methods to create a connected graph of walkable tiles. The boss room placement algorithm randomly …

Universal Computation Using Self-Assembling, Crisscross Dna Slats, Jackson S. Bullard

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

I first give a brief introduction to formal models of computation. I then present three different approaches for computation in the aTAM. I later detail generating systems of crisscross slats given an arbitrary algorithm encoded in the form of a Turing machine. Crisscross slats show potential due to their high levels of cooperativity, so it is hoped that implementations utilizing slats are more robust to various growth errors compared to the aTAM. Finally, my software converts arbitrary crisscross slat systems into various physical representations that assist in analyzing their potential to be realized in experiments.

Chatgpt As Metamorphosis Designer For The Future Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai): A Conceptual Investigation, Amarjit Kumar Singh (Library Assistant), Dr. Pankaj Mathur (Deputy Librarian)

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this research paper is to explore ChatGPT’s potential as an innovative designer tool for the future development of artificial intelligence. Specifically, this conceptual investigation aims to analyze ChatGPT’s capabilities as a tool for designing and developing near about human intelligent systems for futuristic used and developed in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Also with the helps of this paper, researchers are analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of ChatGPT as a tool, and identify possible areas for improvement in its development and implementation. This investigation focused on the various features and functions of ChatGPT that …

Crosshair Optimizer, Jason Torrence

All Master's Theses

Metaheuristic optimization algorithms are heuristics that are capable of creating a "good enough'' solution to a computationally complex problem. Algorithms in this area of study are focused on the process of exploration and exploitation: exploration of the solution space and exploitation of the results that have been found during that exploration, with most resources going toward the former half of the process. The novel Crosshair optimizer developed in this thesis seeks to take advantage of the latter, exploiting the best possible result as much as possible by directly searching the area around that best result with a stochastic approach. This …

Influence Maximization Based On Community Detection And Dominating Sets, Ameya Marathe

Master's Projects

An online platform where various people come together to share information and communicate is called a social network. These platforms are set apart from other means of communication mostly because you can follow and interact also with different people even some you never met, comment on their posts, and re-sharing their posts. Companies such as Amazon and Walmart use these platforms daily for marketing purposes, like spreading information regarding new products and services they offer. They carefully select a subset of users, called influencers, who are usually the ones with high influence over the rest of the users. Influencers receive …

The History Of The Enigma Machine, Jenna Siobhan Parkinson

History Publications

The history of the Enigma machine begins with the invention of the rotor-based cipher machine in 1915. Various models for rotor-based cipher machines were developed somewhat simultaneously in different parts of the world. However, the first documented rotor machine was developed by Dutch naval officers in 1915. Nonetheless, the Enigma machine was officially invented following the end of World War I by Arthur Scherbius in 1918 (Faint, 2016).

Cov-Inception: Covid-19 Detection Tool Using Chest X-Ray, Aswini Thota, Ololade Awodipe, Rashmi Patel

SMU Data Science Review

Since the pandemic started, researchers have been trying to find a way to detect COVID-19 which is a cost-effective, fast, and reliable way to keep the economy viable and running. This research details how chest X-ray radiography can be utilized to detect the infection. This can be for implementation in Airports, Schools, and places of business. Currently, Chest imaging is not a first-line test for COVID-19 due to low diagnostic accuracy and confounding with other viral pneumonia. Different pre-trained algorithms were fine-tuned and applied to the images to train the model and the best model obtained was fine-tuned InceptionV3 model …

Legislative Language For Success, Sanjana Gundala

Master's Theses

Legislative committee meetings are an integral part of the lawmaking process for local and state bills. The testimony presented during these meetings is a large factor in the outcome of the proposed bill. This research uses Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning techniques to analyze testimonies from California Legislative committee meetings from 2015-2016 in order to identify what aspects of a testimony makes it successful. A testimony is considered successful if the alignment of the testimony matches the bill outcome (alignment is "For" and the bill passes or alignment is "Against" and the bill fails). The process of finding what …

Coded Distributed Function Computation, Pedro J. Soto

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A ubiquitous problem in computer science research is the optimization of computation on large data sets. Such computations are usually too large to be performed on one machine and therefore the task needs to be distributed amongst a network of machines. However, a common problem within distributed computing is the mitigation of delays caused by faulty machines. This can be performed by the use of coding theory to optimize the amount of redundancy needed to handle such faults. This problem differs from classical coding theory since it is concerned with the dynamic coded computation on data rather than just statically …

Private Information Retrieval And Function Computation For Noncolluding Coded Databases, Sarah A. Obead

Dissertations

The rapid development of information and communication technologies has motivated many data-centric paradigms such as big data and cloud computing. The resulting paradigmatic shift to cloud/network-centric applications and the accessibility of information over public networking platforms has brought information privacy to the focal point of current research challenges. Motivated by the emerging privacy concerns, the problem of private information retrieval (PIR), a standard problem of information privacy that originated in theoretical computer science, has recently attracted much attention in the information theory and coding communities. The goal of PIR is to allow a user to download a message from a …

The Significance Of Sonic Branding To Strategically Stimulate Consumer Behavior: Content Analysis Of Four Interviews From Jeanna Isham’S “Sound In Marketing” Podcast, Ina Beilina

Student Theses and Dissertations

Purpose:
Sonic branding is not just about composing jingles like McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It.” Sonic branding is an industry that strategically designs a cohesive auditory component of a brand’s corporate identity. This paper examines the psychological impact of music and sound on consumer behavior reviewing studies from the past 40 years and investigates the significance of stimulating auditory perception by infusing sound in consumer experience in the modern 2020s.

Design/methodology/approach:
Qualitative content analysis of audio media was used to test two hypotheses. Four archival oral interview recordings from Jeanna Isham’s podcast “Sound in Marketing” featuring the sonic branding experts …

Ubjective Information And Survival In A Simulated Biological System, Tyler S. Barker, Massimiliano Pierobon, Peter J. Thomas

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

Information transmission and storage have gained traction as unifying concepts to characterize biological systems and their chances of survival and evolution at multiple scales. Despite the potential for an information-based mathematical framework to offer new insights into life processes and ways to interact with and control them, the main legacy is that of Shannon’s, where a purely syntactic characterization of information scores systems on the basis of their maximum information efficiency. The latter metrics seem not entirely suitable for biological systems, where transmission and storage of different pieces of information (carrying different semantics) can result in different chances of survival. …

The Global Rise Of Online Devices, Cyber Crime And Cyber Defense: Enhancing Ethical Actions, Counter Measures, Cyber Strategy, And Approaches, Naresh Kshetri

Dissertations

The rise of online devices, online users, online shopping, online gaming, and online teaching has ultimately given rise to online attacks and online crimes. As cases of COVID-19 seem to increase day by day, so do online crimes and attacks (as many sectors and organizations went 100% online). Technological advancements and cyber warfare already generated many ethical issues, as internet users increasingly need ethical cyber defense strategies.

Individual internet users have challenges on their end; and on the other end, nation states (some secretly, some openly), are investing in robot weapons and autonomous weapons systems (AWS). New technologies have combined …

The Effect Of Using The Gamification Strategy On Academic Achievement And Motivation Towards Learning Problem-Solving Skills In Computer And Information Technology Course Among Tenth Grade Female Students, Mazyunah Almutairi, Prof. Ahmad Almassaad

International Journal for Research in Education

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the effect of using the gamification strategy on academic achievement and motivation towards learning problem-solving skills in computer and information technology course. A quasi-experimental method was adopted. The study population included tenth-grade female students in Al-Badi’ah schools in Riyadh. The sample consisted of 54 students divided into two equal groups: control group and experimental group. The study tools comprised an achievement test and the motivation scale. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in the academic achievement test in favor of the experimental group, with a large effect …

Decoding Cyclic Codes Via Gröbner Bases, Eduardo Sosa

Honors Theses

In this paper, we analyze the decoding of cyclic codes. First, we introduce linear and cyclic codes, standard decoding processes, and some standard theorems in coding theory. Then, we will introduce Gr¨obner Bases, and describe their connection to the decoding of cyclic codes. Finally, we go in-depth into how we decode cyclic codes using the key equation, and how a breakthrough by A. Brinton Cooper on decoding BCH codes using Gr¨obner Bases gave rise to the search for a polynomial-time algorithm that could someday decode any cyclic code. We discuss the different approaches taken toward developing such an algorithm and …

Computer Program Simulation Of A Quantum Turing Machine With Circuit Model, Shixin Wu

Mathematical Sciences Technical Reports (MSTR)

Molina and Watrous present a variation of the method to simulate a quantum Turing machine employed in Yao’s 1995 publication “Quantum Circuit Complexity”. We use a computer program to implement their method with linear algebra and an additional unitary operator defined to complete the details. Their method is verified to be correct on a quantum Turing machine.

Local Feature Selection For Multiple Instance Learning With Applications., Aliasghar Shahrjooihaghighi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Feature selection is a data processing approach that has been successfully and effectively used in developing machine learning algorithms for various applications. It has been proven to effectively reduce the dimensionality of the data and increase the accuracy and interpretability of machine learning algorithms. Conventional feature selection algorithms assume that there is an optimal global subset of features for the whole sample space. Thus, only one global subset of relevant features is learned. An alternative approach is based on the concept of Local Feature Selection (LFS), where each training sample can have its own subset of relevant features. Multiple Instance …

Transfer-Learned Pruned Deep Convolutional Neural Networks For Efficient Plant Classification In Resource-Constrained Environments, Martinson Ofori

Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations

Traditional means of on-farm weed control mostly rely on manual labor. This process is time-consuming, costly, and contributes to major yield losses. Further, the conventional application of chemical weed control can be economically and environmentally inefficient. Site-specific weed management (SSWM) counteracts this by reducing the amount of chemical application with localized spraying of weed species. To solve this using computer vision, precision agriculture researchers have used remote sensing weed maps, but this has been largely ineffective for early season weed control due to problems such as solar reflectance and cloud cover in satellite imagery. With the current advances in artificial …

Fake News Analysis And Graph Classification On A Covid-19 Twitter Dataset, Kriti Gupta

Master's Projects

Earlier researches have showed that the spread of fake news through social media can have a huge impact to society and also to individuals in an extremely negative way. In this work we aim to study the spread of fake news compared to real news in a social network. We do that by performing classical social network analysis to discover various characteristics, and formulate the problem as a binary classification, where we have graphs modeling the spread of fake and real news. For our experiments we rely on how news are propagated through a popular social media services such as …

A Comparison Of Word Embedding Techniques For Similarity Analysis, Tyler Gerth

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

There have been a multitude of word embedding techniques developed that allow a computer to process natural language and compare the relationships between different words programmatically. In this paper, similarity analysis, or the testing of words for synonymic relations, is used to compare several of these techniques to see which performs the best. The techniques being compared all utilize the method of creating word vectors, reducing words down into a single vector of numerical values that denote how the word relates to other words that appear around it. In order to get a holistic comparison, multiple analyses were made, with …

Trunctrimmer: A First Step Towards Automating Standard Bioinformatic Analysis, Z. Gunner Lawless, Dana Dittoe, Dale R. Thompson, Steven C. Ricke

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Bioinformatic analysis is a time-consuming process for labs performing research on various microbiomes. Researchers use tools like Qiime2 to help standardize the bioinformatic analysis methods, but even large, extensible platforms like Qiime2 have drawbacks due to the attention required by researchers. In this project, we propose to automate additional standard lab bioinformatic procedures by eliminating the existing manual process of determining the trim and truncate locations for paired end 2 sequences. We introduce a new Qiime2 plugin called TruncTrimmer to automate the process that usually requires the researcher to make a decision on where to trim and truncate manually after …

A Deep Analysis And Algorithmic Approach To Solving Complex Fitness Issues In Collegiate Student Athletes, Holly N. Puckett

Honors College Theses

Sports are not simply an entertainment source. For many, it creates a sense of community, support, and trust among both fans and athletes alike. In order to continue the sense of community sports provides, athletes must be properly cared for in order to perform at the highest level possible. Thus, their fitness and health must be monitored continuously. In a professional sense, one can expect individualized attention to athletes daily due to an abundance of funding and resources. However, when looking at college communities and student athletes within them, the number of athletes per athletic trainer increases due to both …

Implications Of The Quantum Dna Model For Information Sciences, F. Matthew Mihelic

Faculty Publications

The DNA molecule can be modeled as a quantum logic processor, and this model has been supported by pilot research that experimentally demonstrated non-local communication between cells in separated cell cultures. This modeling and pilot research have important implications for information sciences, providing a potential architecture for quantum computing that operates at room temperature and is scalable to millions of qubits, and including the potential for an entanglement communication system based upon the quantum DNA architecture. Such a system could be used to provide non-local quantum key distribution that could not be blocked by any shielding or water depth, would …

Network-Based Analysis Of Early Pandemic Mitigation Strategies: Solutions, And Future Directions, Pegah Hozhabrierdi, Raymond Zhu, Maduakolam Onyewu, Sucheta Soundarajan

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Despite the large amount of literature on mitigation strategies for pandemic spread, in practice, we are still limited by naive strategies, such as lockdowns, that are not effective in controlling the spread of the disease in long term. One major reason behind adopting basic strategies in real-world settings is that, in the early stages of a pandemic, we lack knowledge of the behavior of a disease, and so cannot tailor a more sophisticated response. In this study, we design different mitigation strategies for early stages of a pandemic and perform a comprehensive analysis among them. We then propose a novel …

Optimizing Networking Topologies With Shortest Path Algorithms, Jordan Sahs

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Communication networks tend to contain redundant devices and mediums of transmission, thus the need to locate, document, and optimize networks is increasingly becoming necessary. However, many people do not know where to start the optimization progress. What is network topology? What is this “Shortest Path Problem”, and how can it be used to better my network? These questions are presented, taught, and answered within this paper. To supplement the reader’s understanding there are thirty-eight figures in the paper that are used to help convey and compartmentalize the learning process needed to grasp the materials presented in the ending sections.

In …