A Computational Field Framework for Collaborative Task Execution in Volunteer Clouds

The increasing diffusion of cloud technologies is opening new opportunities for distributed and collaborative computing. Volunteer clouds are a prominent example, where participants join and leave the platform and collaborate by sharing their computational resources. The high dynamism and unpredictability of such scenarios call for decentralized self-* approaches to guarantee QoS. We present a simulation framework for collaborative task execution in volunteer clouds and propose one concrete instance based on Ant Colony Optimization, which is validated through a set of simulation experiments based on Google workload data

Extranoematic artifacts: neural systems in space and topology

During the past several decades, the evolution in architecture and engineering went through several stages of exploration of form. While the procedures of generating the form have varied from using physical analogous form-finding computation to engaging the form with simulated dynamic forces in digital environment, the self-generation and organization of form has always been the goal. this thesis further intend to contribute to self-organizational capacity in Architecture. The subject of investigation is the rationalizing of geometry from an unorganized point cloud by using learning neural networks. Furthermore, the focus is oriented upon aspects of efficient construction of generated topology. Neural network is connected with constraining properties, which adjust the members of the topology into predefined number of sizes while minimizing the error of deviation from the original form. The resulted algorithm is applied in several different scenarios of construction, highlighting the possibilities and versatility of this method

Emergent Alternative Home 2050

Designing for a time beyond the immediate future has potentials for new dialogues. This approach challenges the designer to reconsider the point of departure, societal, contextual and other dynamics, techniques and available materials. Endeavors such as this also promote the opportunity to envision architectural inventions, and new concepts better suited for future. My project aims to find a prototype home for the future 2050, envisioning a design solution for a tropical urban environment. A series of chronological scenarios across a selected time line investigates the preferred future home. An architectural genealogy and emerging techniques suitable for the context are presented to solidify the overarching theme. My design proposal provides the necessary proof or evidence for this doctorate project, and tests my hypothesis for a synthetic organic Emergent Alternative Home 2050. Biotechnology, nanotechnology and biomimetic manifestations propagate a reductive, performative, and generative design. In turn, this leads to investigation of accurate, efficient, near intelligent, mass fabricated, low cost materials, components and systems. Self-assembly, flexibility and positive environmental footprint are forecasted for the future home 2050

Introductory Review of Swarm Intelligence Techniques

With the rapid upliftment of technology, there has emerged a dire need to fine-tune or optimize certain processes, software, models or structures, with utmost accuracy and efficiency. Optimization algorithms are preferred over other methods of optimization through experimentation or simulation, for their generic problem-solving abilities and promising efficacy with the least human intervention. In recent times, the inducement of natural phenomena into algorithm design has immensely triggered the efficiency of optimization process for even complex multi-dimensional, non-continuous, non-differentiable and noisy problem search spaces. This chapter deals with the Swarm intelligence (SI) based algorithms or Swarm Optimization Algorithms, which are a subset of the greater Nature Inspired Optimization Algorithms (NIOAs). Swarm intelligence involves the collective study of individuals and their mutual interactions leading to intelligent behavior of the swarm. The chapter presents various population-based SI algorithms, their fundamental structures along with their mathematical models.Comment: Submitted to Springe

Brave New Worlds: Transcending the Humanities/STEM Divide through Creative Writing

Creative writing offers a critical and innovative form of inquiry promoting integrative learning that transcends disciplinary barriers. Authors first provide an overview of the scholarship on creative writing pedagogy, its unique capacity to engage a range of knowledge domains, and its significance for honors education. They then offer primary examples of incorporating creative writing projects into two honors classes that bridge STEM fields and the humanities. Analyses of student reflections (n = 35) in relation to learning outcomes strongly suggest that creative writing helps students explore course concepts through several ways of knowing—critical, situational, and affective—while fostering new perspectives on these concepts, their interconnections, and their implications. The value of creative writing as a platform for self-directed and interdisciplinary learning within the transdisciplinary context of honors is discussed