4,449 research outputs found
An Optimal Self-Stabilizing Firing Squad
Consider a fully connected network where up to processes may crash, and
all processes start in an arbitrary memory state. The self-stabilizing firing
squad problem consists of eventually guaranteeing simultaneous response to an
external input. This is modeled by requiring that the non-crashed processes
"fire" simultaneously if some correct process received an external "GO" input,
and that they only fire as a response to some process receiving such an input.
This paper presents FireAlg, the first self-stabilizing firing squad algorithm.
The FireAlg algorithm is optimal in two respects: (a) Once the algorithm is
in a safe state, it fires in response to a GO input as fast as any other
algorithm does, and (b) Starting from an arbitrary state, it converges to a
safe state as fast as any other algorithm does.Comment: Shorter version to appear in SSS0
Nothing Less than the Dignity of Man: Evolving Standards, Botched Executions and Utah\u27s Controversial Use of the Firing Squad
While outrage boils to the surface when Utah uses its firing squad option, there is little substantive legal development concerning the firing squad\u27s use. Few cases have challenged the firing squad\u27s constitutionality. This article discusses the legal and political implications of the firing squad. Using the Supreme Court\u27s everdeveloping Eighth Amendment jurisprudence as a guide, this article discusses whether the firing squad, both historically and in its present application, passes constitutional muster. Beyond those factors that trigger constitutional protection, this article discusses those elements of the firing squad\u27s use which define society\u27s humanity and demonstrate our dignity. In the end, those factors are framed and fashioned by each individual\u27s view of decency and dignity
New Solutions to the Firing Squad Synchronization Problems for Neural and Hyperdag P Systems
We propose two uniform solutions to an open question: the Firing Squad
Synchronization Problem (FSSP), for hyperdag and symmetric neural P systems,
with anonymous cells. Our solutions take e_c+5 and 6e_c+7 steps, respectively,
where e_c is the eccentricity of the commander cell of the dag or digraph
underlying these P systems. The first and fast solution is based on a novel
proposal, which dynamically extends P systems with mobile channels. The second
solution is substantially longer, but is solely based on classical rules and
static channels. In contrast to the previous solutions, which work for
tree-based P systems, our solutions synchronize to any subset of the underlying
digraph; and do not require membrane polarizations or conditional rules, but
require states, as typically used in hyperdag and neural P systems
Relating Knowledge and Coordinated Action: The Knowledge of Preconditions Principle
The Knowledge of Preconditions principle (KoP) is proposed as a widely
applicable connection between knowledge and action in multi-agent systems.
Roughly speaking, it asserts that if some condition is a necessary condition
for performing a given action A, then knowing that this condition holds is also
a necessary condition for performing A. Since the specifications of tasks often
involve necessary conditions for actions, the KoP principle shows that such
specifications induce knowledge preconditions for the actions. Distributed
protocols or multi-agent plans that satisfy the specifications must ensure that
this knowledge be attained, and that it is detected by the agents as a
condition for action. The knowledge of preconditions principle is formalised in
the runs and systems framework, and is proven to hold in a wide class of
settings. Well-known connections between knowledge and coordinated action are
extended and shown to derive directly from the KoP principle: a "common
knowledge of preconditions" principle is established showing that common
knowledge is a necessary condition for performing simultaneous actions, and a
"nested knowledge of preconditions" principle is proven, showing that
coordinating actions to be performed in linear temporal order requires a
corresponding form of nested knowledge.Comment: In Proceedings TARK 2015, arXiv:1606.0729
Dynamic neighbourhood cellular automata.
We propose a definition of cellular automaton in which each cell can change its neighbourhood during a computation. This is done locally by looking not farther than neighbours of neighbours and the number of links remains bounded by a constant throughout. We suggest that dynamic neighbourhood cellular automata can serve as a theoretical model in studying algorithmic and computational complexity issues of ubiquitous computations. We illustrate our approach by giving an optimal, logarithmic time solution of the Firing Squad Synchronization problem in this setting
Distributed algorithms for hard real-time systems
viii+124hlm.;24c
Achieving consensus in fault-tolerant distributed computer systems : protocols, lower bounds, and simulations
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1987.Vita.Bibliography: p. 145-149.by Brian A. Coan.Ph.D
The Montclarion, March 05, 1971
Student Newspaper of Montclair State Collegehttps://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/montclarion/1146/thumbnail.jp
Edge- and Node-Disjoint Paths in P Systems
In this paper, we continue our development of algorithms used for topological
network discovery. We present native P system versions of two fundamental
problems in graph theory: finding the maximum number of edge- and node-disjoint
paths between a source node and target node. We start from the standard
depth-first-search maximum flow algorithms, but our approach is totally
distributed, when initially no structural information is available and each P
system cell has to even learn its immediate neighbors. For the node-disjoint
version, our P system rules are designed to enforce node weight capacities (of
one), in addition to edge capacities (of one), which are not readily available
in the standard network flow algorithms.Comment: In Proceedings MeCBIC 2010, arXiv:1011.005
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