Behavior of Coupled Automata

We study the nature of statistical correlations that develop between systems of interacting self-organized critical automata (sandpiles). Numerical and analytical findings are presented describing the emergence of synchronization between sandpiles and the dependency of this synchronization on factors such as variations in coupling strength, toppling rule probabilities, symmetric versus asymmetric coupling rules, and numbers of sandpiles

The Behavior of Coupled Automata

We study the nature of statistical correlations that develop between systems of interacting self-organized critical automata (sandpiles). Numerical and analytical findings are presented describing the emergence of “synchronization” between sandpiles and the dependency of this synchronization on factors such as variations in coupling strength, toppling rule probabilities, symmetric versus asymmetric coupling rules, and numbers of sandpiles

Large-Scale Synchrony in Weakly Interacting Automata

We study the behavior of two spatially distributed (sandpile) models which are weakly linked with one another. Using a Monte-Carlo implementation of the renormalization group and algebraic methods, we describe how large-scale correlations emerge between the two systems, leading to synchronized behavior.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures; to appear PR

Modularizing and Specifying Protocols among Threads

We identify three problems with current techniques for implementing protocols among threads, which complicate and impair the scalability of multicore software development: implementing synchronization, implementing coordination, and modularizing protocols. To mend these deficiencies, we argue for the use of domain-specific languages (DSL) based on existing models of concurrency. To demonstrate the feasibility of this proposal, we explain how to use the model of concurrency Reo as a high-level protocol DSL, which offers appropriate abstractions and a natural separation of protocols and computations. We describe a Reo-to-Java compiler and illustrate its use through examples.Comment: In Proceedings PLACES 2012, arXiv:1302.579

Transforming opacity verification to nonblocking verification in modular systems

We consider the verification of current-state and K-step opacity for systems modeled as interacting non-deterministic finite-state automata. We describe a new methodology for compositional opacity verification that employs abstraction, in the form of a notion called opaque observation equivalence, and that leverages existing compositional nonblocking verification algorithms. The compositional approach is based on a transformation of the system, where the transformed system is nonblocking if and only if the original one is current-state opaque. Furthermore, we prove that $K$-step opacity can also be inferred if the transformed system is nonblocking. We provide experimental results where current-state opacity is verified efficiently for a large scaled-up system

Fashion, Cooperation, and Social Interactions

Fashion plays such a crucial rule in the evolution of culture and society that it is regarded as a second nature to the human being. Also, its impact on economy is quite nontrivial. On what is fashionable, interestingly, there are two viewpoints that are both extremely widespread but almost opposite: conformists think that what is popular is fashionable, while rebels believe that being different is the essence. Fashion color is fashionable in the first sense, and Lady Gaga in the second. We investigate a model where the population consists of the afore-mentioned two groups of people that are located on social networks (a spatial cellular automata network and small-world networks). This model captures two fundamental kinds of social interactions (coordination and anti-coordination) simultaneously, and also has its own interest to game theory: it is a hybrid model of pure competition and pure cooperation. This is true because when a conformist meets a rebel, they play the zero sum matching pennies game, which is pure competition. When two conformists (rebels) meet, they play the (anti-) coordination game, which is pure cooperation. Simulation shows that simple social interactions greatly promote cooperation: in most cases people can reach an extraordinarily high level of cooperation, through a selfish, myopic, naive, and local interacting dynamic (the best response dynamic). We find that degree of synchronization also plays a critical role, but mostly on the negative side. Four indices, namely cooperation degree, average satisfaction degree, equilibrium ratio and complete ratio, are defined and applied to measure people's cooperation levels from various angles. Phase transition, as well as emergence of many interesting geographic patterns in the cellular automata network, is also observed.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figure

Studying Parallel Evolutionary Algorithms: The cellular Programming Case

Parallel evolutionary algorithms, studied to some extent over the past few years, have proven empirically worthwhile—though there seems to be lacking a better understanding of their workings. In this paper we concentrate on cellular (fine-grained) models, presenting a number of statistical measures, both at the genotypic and phenotypic levels. We demonstrate the application and utility of these measures on a specific example, that of the cellular programming evolutionary algorithm, when used to evolve solutions to a hard problem in the cellular-automata domain, known as synchronization