9,119 research outputs found
Improved bounds for gossiping in mesh bus networks
International audienceImproved bounds for the minimum gossiping time in mesh bus networks of arbitrary dimension for 1-port model are given. More precisely, the gossiping protocol consists of steps during which messages are sent via buses and at the end of the protocol, all the nodes should know all the information. Furthermore, during one step a bus can carry at most one message, and each node can either send or receive (not both) on at most one bus The minimum gossiping time of a bus network G is the minimum number of steps required to perform a gossip under this model. Here we determine almost exactly the minimum gossip time for 2-dimensional mesh bus networks and give tight bounds for d-dimensional mesh bus networks
A Gossip Algorithm based Clock Synchronization Scheme for Smart Grid Applications
The uprising interest in multi-agent based networked system, and the numerous
number of applications in the distributed control of the smart grid leads us to
address the problem of time synchronization in the smart grid. Utility
companies look for new packet based time synchronization solutions with Global
Positioning System (GPS) level accuracies beyond traditional packet methods
such as Network Time Proto- col (NTP). However GPS based solutions have poor
reception in indoor environments and dense urban canyons as well as GPS antenna
installation might be costly. Some smart grid nodes such as Phasor Measurement
Units (PMUs), fault detection, Wide Area Measurement Systems (WAMS) etc.,
requires synchronous accuracy as low as 1 ms. On the other hand, 1 sec accuracy
is acceptable in management information domain. Acknowledging this, in this
study, we introduce gossip algorithm based clock synchronization method among
network entities from the decision control and communication point of view. Our
method synchronizes clock within dense network with a bandwidth limited
environment. Our technique has been tested in different kinds of network
topologies- complete, star and random geometric network and demonstrated
satisfactory performance
From supply chains to demand networks. Agents in retailing: the electrical bazaar
A paradigm shift is taking place in logistics. The focus is changing from operational effectiveness to adaptation. Supply Chains will develop into networks that will adapt to consumer demand in almost real time. Time to market, capacity of adaptation and enrichment of customer experience seem to be the key elements of this new paradigm. In this environment emerging technologies like RFID (Radio Frequency ID), Intelligent Products and the Internet, are triggering a reconsideration of methods, procedures and goals. We present a Multiagent System framework specialized in retail that addresses these changes with the use of rational agents and takes advantages of the new market opportunities. Like in an old bazaar, agents able to learn, cooperate, take advantage of gossip and distinguish between collaborators and competitors, have the ability to adapt, learn and react to a changing environment better than any other structure. Keywords: Supply Chains, Distributed Artificial Intelligence, Multiagent System.Postprint (published version
Good Health at Low Cost 25 years on: lessons for the future of health systems strengthening.
In 1985, the Rockefeller Foundation published Good health at low cost to discuss why some countries or regions achieve better health and social outcomes than do others at a similar level of income and to show the role of political will and socially progressive policies. 25 years on, the Good Health at Low Cost project revisited these places but looked anew at Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, and the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which have all either achieved substantial improvements in health or access to services or implemented innovative health policies relative to their neighbours. A series of comparative case studies (2009-11) looked at how and why each region accomplished these changes. Attributes of success included good governance and political commitment, effective bureaucracies that preserve institutional memory and can learn from experience, and the ability to innovate and adapt to resource limitations. Furthermore, the capacity to respond to population needs and build resilience into health systems in the face of political unrest, economic crises, and natural disasters was important. Transport infrastructure, female empowerment, and education also played a part. Health systems are complex and no simple recipe exists for success. Yet in the countries and regions studied, progress has been assisted by institutional stability, with continuity of reforms despite political and economic turmoil, learning lessons from experience, seizing windows of opportunity, and ensuring sensitivity to context. These experiences show that improvements in health can still be achieved in countries with relatively few resources, though strategic investment is necessary to address new challenges such as complex chronic diseases and growing population expectations
Forever Young: Aging Control For Smartphones In Hybrid Networks
The demand for Internet services that require frequent updates through small
messages, such as microblogging, has tremendously grown in the past few years.
Although the use of such applications by domestic users is usually free, their
access from mobile devices is subject to fees and consumes energy from limited
batteries. If a user activates his mobile device and is in range of a service
provider, a content update is received at the expense of monetary and energy
costs. Thus, users face a tradeoff between such costs and their messages aging.
The goal of this paper is to show how to cope with such a tradeoff, by devising
\emph{aging control policies}. An aging control policy consists of deciding,
based on the current utility of the last message received, whether to activate
the mobile device, and if so, which technology to use (WiFi or 3G). We present
a model that yields the optimal aging control policy. Our model is based on a
Markov Decision Process in which states correspond to message ages. Using our
model, we show the existence of an optimal strategy in the class of threshold
strategies, wherein users activate their mobile devices if the age of their
messages surpasses a given threshold and remain inactive otherwise. We then
consider strategic content providers (publishers) that offer \emph{bonus
packages} to users, so as to incent them to download updates of advertisement
campaigns. We provide simple algorithms for publishers to determine optimal
bonus levels, leveraging the fact that users adopt their optimal aging control
strategies. The accuracy of our model is validated against traces from the
UMass DieselNet bus network.Comment: See also http://www-net.cs.umass.edu/~sadoc/agecontrol
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