A New Fuzzy MCDM Framework to Evaluate E-Government Security Strategy

Ensuring security of e-government applications and infrastructures is crucial to maintain trust among stakeholders to store, process and exchange information over the e-government systems. Due to dynamic and continuous threats on e-government information security, policy makers need to perform evaluation on existing information security strategy as to deliver trusted e-government services. This paper presents an information security evaluation framework based on new fuzzy multi criteria decision making (MCDM) to help policy makers conduct comprehensive assessment of e-government security strategy.Comment: IEEE 4th International Conference on Application of Information and Communication Technologies AICT201

IK-FA, a new heuristic inverse kinematics solver using firefly algorithm

In this paper, a heuristic method based on Firefly Algorithm is proposed for inverse kinematics problems in articulated robotics. The proposal is called, IK-FA. Solving inverse kinematics, IK, consists in finding a set of joint-positions allowing a specific point of the system to achieve a target position. In IK-FA, the Fireflies positions are assumed to be a possible solution for joints elementary motions. For a robotic system with a known forward kinematic model, IK-Fireflies, is used to generate iteratively a set of joint motions, then the forward kinematic model of the system is used to compute the relative Cartesian positions of a specific end-segment, and to compare it to the needed target position. This is a heuristic approach for solving inverse kinematics without computing the inverse model. IK-FA tends to minimize the distance to a target position, the fitness function could be established as the distance between the obtained forward positions and the desired one, it is subject to minimization. In this paper IK-FA is tested over a 3 links articulated planar system, the evaluation is based on statistical analysis of the convergence and the solution quality for 100 tests. The impact of key FA parameters is also investigated with a focus on the impact of the number of fireflies, the impact of the maximum iteration number and also the impact of (a, ß, ¿, d) parameters. For a given set of valuable parameters, the heuristic converges to a static fitness value within a fix maximum number of iterations. IK-FA has a fair convergence time, for the tested configuration, the average was about 2.3394 × 10-3 seconds with a position error fitness around 3.116 × 10-8 for 100 tests. The algorithm showed also evidence of robustness over the target position, since for all conducted tests with a random target position IK-FA achieved a solution with a position error lower or equal to 5.4722 × 10-9.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

A Study in function optimization with the breeder genetic algorithm

Optimization is concerned with the finding of global optima (hence the name) of problems that can be cast in the form of a function of several variables and constraints thereof. Among the searching methods, {em Evolutionary Algorithms} have been shown to be adaptable and general tools that have often outperformed traditional {em ad hoc} methods. The {em Breeder Genetic Algorithm} (BGA) combines a direct representation with a nice conceptual simplicity. This work contains a general description of the algorithm and a detailed study on a collection of function optimization tasks. The results show that the BGA is a powerful and reliable searching algorithm. The main discussion concerns the choice of genetic operators and their parameters, among which the family of Extended Intermediate Recombination (EIR) is shown to stand out. In addition, a simple method to dynamically adjust the operator is outlined and found to greatly improve on the already excellent overall performance of the algorithm.Postprint (published version

A single currency for Asia? Evaluation and comparison using hierarchical and model-based cluster analysis

Today, there is increased speculation on the possibility of an Asian currency, as the region begins to show increased promise as a region of nascent economic activity. Any monetary integration scheme in East Asia would likely have to include both China and India though, so this paper attempts to assess the evolution of convergence among the East Asian countries, including China and India, according to the optimum currency area theory criteria, which is operationalized through the use of cluster analysis. In this paper we use both traditional "hierarchical" clustering as well as the more recently developed "model-based" clustering techniques and compare the outcome in each case. As the East Asian crisis of 1997-98 is likely to a¤ect the results, the exercise is done for pre-crisis, crisis, and post-crisis periods. The results reveal some structure among the countries, an increase in the degree of subregional homogeneity, and a robust relationship between Malaysia and Singapore

Noncommutative Solenoids and the Gromov-Hausdorff Propinquity

We prove that noncommutative solenoids are limits, in the sense of the Gromov-Hausdorff propinquity, of quantum tori. From this observation, we prove that noncommutative solenoids can be approximated by finite dimensional quantum compact metric spaces, and that they form a continuous family of quantum compact metric spaces over the space of multipliers of the solenoid, properly metrized.Comment: 15 Pages, minor correction