Neuromorphic, Digital and Quantum Computation with Memory Circuit Elements

Memory effects are ubiquitous in nature and the class of memory circuit elements - which includes memristors, memcapacitors and meminductors - shows great potential to understand and simulate the associated fundamental physical processes. Here, we show that such elements can also be used in electronic schemes mimicking biologically-inspired computer architectures, performing digital logic and arithmetic operations, and can expand the capabilities of certain quantum computation schemes. In particular, we will discuss few examples where the concept of memory elements is relevant to the realization of associative memory in neuronal circuits, spike-timing-dependent plasticity of synapses, digital and field-programmable quantum computing

Engineering Multiagent Systems - Reflections

This report documents the programme and outcomes of Dagstuhl Seminar 12342 ``Engineering multiagent Systems\u27\u27. The seminar brought together researchers from both academia and industry to identify the potential for and facilitate convergence towards standards for agent technology. As such it was particularly relevant to industrial research. A key objective of the seminar, moreover, has been to establish a road map for engineering multiagent systems. Various research areas have been identified as important topics for a research agenda with a focus on the development of multiagent systems. Among others, these include the integration of agent technology and legacy systems, component-based agent design, standards for tooling, establishing benchmarks for agent technology, and the development of frameworks for coordination and organisation of multiagent systems. This report presents a more detailed discussion of these and other research challenges that were identified. The unique atmosphere of Dagstuhl provided the perfect environment for leading researchers from a wide variety of backgrounds to discuss future directions in programming languages, tools and platforms for multiagent systems, and the road map produced by the seminar will have a timely and decisive impact on the future of this whole area of research

Turku Centre for Computer Science – Annual Report 2013

Due to a major reform of organization and responsibilities of TUCS, its role, activities, and even structures have been under reconsideration in 2013. The traditional pillar of collaboration at TUCS, doctoral training, was reorganized due to changes at both universities according to the renewed national system for doctoral education. Computer Science and Engineering and Information Systems Science are now accompanied by Mathematics and Statistics in newly established doctoral programs at both University of Turku and &Aring;bo Akademi University. Moreover, both universities granted sufficient resources to their respective programmes for doctoral training in these fields, so that joint activities at TUCS can continue. The outcome of this reorganization has the potential of proving out to be a success in terms of scientific profile as well as the quality and quantity of scientific and educational results.&nbsp; International activities that have been characteristic to TUCS since its inception continue strong. TUCS&rsquo; participation in European collaboration through EIT ICT Labs Master&rsquo;s and Doctoral School is now more active than ever. The new double degree programs at MSc and PhD level between University of Turku and Fudan University in Shaghai, P.R.China were succesfully set up and are&nbsp; now running for their first year. The joint students will add to the already international athmosphere of the ICT House.&nbsp; The four new thematic reseach programmes set up acccording to the decision by the TUCS Board have now established themselves, and a number of events and other activities saw the light in 2013. The TUCS Distinguished Lecture Series managed to gather a large audience with its several prominent speakers. The development of these and other research centre activities continue, and&nbsp; new practices and structures will be initiated to support the tradition of close academic collaboration.&nbsp; The TUCS&rsquo; slogan Where Academic Tradition Meets the Exciting Future has proven true throughout these changes. Despite of the dark clouds on the national and European economic sky, science and higher education in the field have managed to retain all the key ingredients for success. Indeed, the future of ICT and Mathematics in Turku seems exciting.</p

Ark: Pursuing qualities of relation through a provisional compositional taxonomy

The vehicle for this doctoral research is Ark, an architectural practice that, having passed through the AADRL in London, has been returned to New Zealand and the particular lineage of modernist tectonics from which it stems. The research responds to problems that emerged through encounters with two different modes of architectural education: one at the University of Auckland, and the other at the Architectural Association in London. Priority in the design studio at the University of Auckland between 1990 and 1994 was given to a kind of architectural composition that consisted of parts set in relation to other parts, an approach seen here as typical of work in the field of &amp;lsquo;modernist tectonics&amp;rsquo;. There was little discussion in the studio of the design process that brought parts and relations into being, nor was there discussion of the importance of practices of making, despite the attention given to beautifully made drawings and models. On the other hand, at the Architectural Association&amp;rsquo;s Design Research Laboratory (AADRL) between 2001 and 2003 focus fell on the design process. It foregrounded making with a range of media at different scales in the development of &amp;lsquo;geometric/material systems&amp;rsquo;. These systems were deployed in ways that underlined their capacity for constant adaptation. Design outcomes were just particular configurations of a system at a moment in a continual design process. In the time since, work of this nature has been deemed to belong to the field of &amp;lsquo;parametricism&amp;rsquo;. This research questions and explores whether these two emphases &amp;ndash; respectively, the composition of tectonic parts and the ongoing process of formation &amp;ndash; can be reconciled within the one approach to architectural design. The enquiry progresses through the deployment of a compositional taxonomy that reflects on five of Ark&amp;rsquo;s design projects. It sets out to identify compositional characteristics inherent in the projects through which a dialogue between the tectonic and parametric might be established. The dissertation articulates a story of the work, the research and the practice through two volumes. Ark: A Provisional Compositional Taxonomy presents generalised diagrams about Ark&amp;rsquo;s compositional taxonomy followed by documentation of each project on the terms it establishes. Ark: Pursuing Qualities of Relation is a discussion of design process that reflects on the five projects and the compositional taxonomy itself. The dissertation is accompanied by a video recording titled Ark: pursuing qualities of relation through a provisional compositional taxonomy. It records an exhibition of Ark&amp;rsquo;s work and its presentation to show how each field is informing the other at this stage in the life of the practice

Factories of the Future

Engineering; Industrial engineering; Production engineerin