Combining logic and probability in tracking and scene interpretation

The paper gives a high-level overview of some ways in which logical representations and reasoning can be used in computer vision applications, such as tracking and scene interpretation. The combination of logical and statistical approaches is also considered

Influence of the Azores high on sea level pressure and wind, and on precipitation, in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean

ENGLISH: Intensification of the Azores high pressure cell in mid-year, with concomitant air flow from the Caribbean into the Pacific, is shown to be responsible for a secondary minimum of precipitation observed along the tropical Pacific coast of the Americas, and to have a measurable effect on wind and precipitation several hundred kilometers offshore. SPANISH: La intensificación de la célula de alta presión de las Azores a mediados del año, y la corriente de aire concomitante que entra al Pacífico procedente del Caribe, se demuestra que es la causante de un mínimo secundario de precipitación observado a lo largo de la costa tropical de las Américas en el Pacífico y que tiene un efecto mensurable sobre el viento y la precipitación varios cientos de kilómetros mar afuera. (PDF contains 23 pages.

Composition for cardinal directions by decomposing horizontal and vertical constraints

In this paper, we demonstrate how to group the nine cardinal directions into sets and use them to compute a composition table. Firstly, we define each cardinal direction in terms of a certain set of constraints. This is followed by decomposing the cardinal directions into sets corresponding to the horizontal and vertical constraints. We apply two different techniques to compute the composition of these sets. The first technique is an algebraic computation while the second is the typical technique of reasoning with diagrams. The rationale of applying the latter is for confirmation purposes. The use of typical composition tables for existential inference is rarely demonstrated. Here, we shall demonstrate how to use the composition table to answer queries requiring the common forward reasoning as well as existential inference. Also, we combine mereological and cardinal direction relations to create a hybrid model which is more expressive

An expressive hybrid model for the composition of cardinal directions

In our previous paper (Kor and Bennett, 2003), we have shown how the nine tiles in the projection-based model for cardinal directions can be partitioned into sets based on horizontal and vertical constraints (called Horizontal and Vertical Constraints Model). In order to come up with an expressive hybrid model for direction relations between two-dimensional single-piece regions (without holes), we integrate the well-known RCC-8 model with the above-mentioned model. From this expressive hybrid model, we derive 8 atomic binary relations and 13 feasible as well as jointly exhaustive relations for the x and y directions respectively. Based on these atomic binary relations, we derive two separate 8x8 composition tables for both the expressive and weak direction relations. We introduce a formula that can be used for the computation of the composition of expressive and weak direction relations between ‘whole or part’ regions. Lastly, we also show how the expressive hybrid model can be used to make several existential inferences that are not possible for existing models

Semantic categories underlying the meaning of ‘place’

This paper analyses the semantics of natural language expressions that are associated with the intuitive notion of ‘place’. We note that the nature of such terms is highly contested, and suggest that this arises from two main considerations: 1) there are a number of logically distinct categories of place expression, which are not always clearly distinguished in discourse about ‘place’; 2) the many non-substantive place count nouns (such as ‘place’, ‘region’, ‘area’, etc.) employed in natural language are highly ambiguous. With respect to consideration 1), we propose that place-related expressions should be classified into the following distinct logical types: a) ‘place-like’ count nouns (further subdivided into abstract, spatial and substantive varieties), b) proper names of ‘place-like’ objects, c) locative property phrases, and d) definite descriptions of ‘place-like’ objects. We outline possible formal representations for each of these. To address consideration 2), we examine meanings, connotations and ambiguities of the English vocabulary of abstract and generic place count nouns, and identify underlying elements of meaning, which explain both similarities and differences in the sense and usage of the various terms

An Ontology for Grounding Vague Geographic Terms

Many geographic terms, such as “river” and “lake”, are vague, with no clear boundaries of application. In particular, the spatial extent of such features is often vaguely carved out of a continuously varying observable domain. We present a means of defining vague terms using standpoint semantics, a refinement of the philosophical idea of supervaluation semantics. Such definitions can be grounded in actual data by geometric analysis and segmentation of the data set. The issues raised by this process with regard to the nature of boundaries and domains of logical quantification are discussed. We describe a prototype implementation of a system capable of segmenting attributed polygon data into geographically significant regions and evaluating queries involving vague geographic feature terms

Deduced Primary Structure of the β Subunit of Brain Type II Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase Determined by Molecular Cloning

cDNA clones coding for the β subunit of rat brain type II Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase were isolated and sequenced. The clones, including one containing the entire coding region, hybridize at high stringency to a single band of poly(A)+ RNA of length 4.8 kilobases. The subunit coded for by the clones was identified by in vitro transcription of the cDNA followed by translation of the resulting RNA. The DNA sequence of the clones contains a single long open reading frame (1626 nucleotides) coding for a protein of 542 amino acids with a molecular weight of 60,333, the amino-terminal half of which is homologous to several other protein kinases. Potential ATP- and calmodulin-binding domains were identified. Two independent clones contain an identical 45-nucleotide deletion, relative to the clones described above, resulting in a shorter open reading frame coding for a protein of molecular weight 58,000. This suggests that the minor, 58-kDa β' subunit of the type II Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase may be synthesized on a separate message

Enhanced tracking and recognition of moving objects by reasoning about spatio-temporal continuity.

A framework for the logical and statistical analysis and annotation of dynamic scenes containing occlusion and other uncertainties is presented. This framework consists of three elements; an object tracker module, an object recognition/classification module and a logical consistency, ambiguity and error reasoning engine. The principle behind the object tracker and object recognition modules is to reduce error by increasing ambiguity (by merging objects in close proximity and presenting multiple hypotheses). The reasoning engine deals with error, ambiguity and occlusion in a unified framework to produce a hypothesis that satisfies fundamental constraints on the spatio-temporal continuity of objects. Our algorithm finds a globally consistent model of an extended video sequence that is maximally supported by a voting function based on the output of a statistical classifier. The system results in an annotation that is significantly more accurate than what would be obtained by frame-by-frame evaluation of the classifier output. The framework has been implemented and applied successfully to the analysis of team sports with a single camera. Key words: Visua

The Parity Bit in Quantum Cryptography

An $n$-bit string is encoded as a sequence of non-orthogonal quantum states. The parity bit of that $n$-bit string is described by one of two density matrices, $\rho_0^{(n)}$ and $\rho_1^{(n)}$, both in a Hilbert space of dimension $2^n$. In order to derive the parity bit the receiver must distinguish between the two density matrices, e.g., in terms of optimal mutual information. In this paper we find the measurement which provides the optimal mutual information about the parity bit and calculate that information. We prove that this information decreases exponentially with the length of the string in the case where the single bit states are almost fully overlapping. We believe this result will be useful in proving the ultimate security of quantum crytography in the presence of noise.Comment: 19 pages, RevTe