A Scalable Byzantine Grid

Modern networks assemble an ever growing number of nodes. However, it remains difficult to increase the number of channels per node, thus the maximal degree of the network may be bounded. This is typically the case in grid topology networks, where each node has at most four neighbors. In this paper, we address the following issue: if each node is likely to fail in an unpredictable manner, how can we preserve some global reliability guarantees when the number of nodes keeps increasing unboundedly ? To be more specific, we consider the problem or reliably broadcasting information on an asynchronous grid in the presence of Byzantine failures -- that is, some nodes may have an arbitrary and potentially malicious behavior. Our requirement is that a constant fraction of correct nodes remain able to achieve reliable communication. Existing solutions can only tolerate a fixed number of Byzantine failures if they adopt a worst-case placement scheme. Besides, if we assume a constant Byzantine ratio (each node has the same probability to be Byzantine), the probability to have a fatal placement approaches 1 when the number of nodes increases, and reliability guarantees collapse. In this paper, we propose the first broadcast protocol that overcomes these difficulties. First, the number of Byzantine failures that can be tolerated (if they adopt the worst-case placement) now increases with the number of nodes. Second, we are able to tolerate a constant Byzantine ratio, however large the grid may be. In other words, the grid becomes scalable. This result has important security applications in ultra-large networks, where each node has a given probability to misbehave.Comment: 17 page

On Byzantine Broadcast in Loosely Connected Networks

We consider the problem of reliably broadcasting information in a multihop asynchronous network that is subject to Byzantine failures. Most existing approaches give conditions for perfect reliable broadcast (all correct nodes deliver the authentic message and nothing else), but they require a highly connected network. An approach giving only probabilistic guarantees (correct nodes deliver the authentic message with high probability) was recently proposed for loosely connected networks, such as grids and tori. Yet, the proposed solution requires a specific initialization (that includes global knowledge) of each node, which may be difficult or impossible to guarantee in self-organizing networks - for instance, a wireless sensor network, especially if they are prone to Byzantine failures. In this paper, we propose a new protocol offering guarantees for loosely connected networks that does not require such global knowledge dependent initialization. In more details, we give a methodology to determine whether a set of nodes will always deliver the authentic message, in any execution. Then, we give conditions for perfect reliable broadcast in a torus network. Finally, we provide experimental evaluation for our solution, and determine the number of randomly distributed Byzantine failures than can be tolerated, for a given correct broadcast probability.Comment: 1

On a graded q-differential algebra

Given a unital associatve graded algebra we construct the graded q-differential algebra by means of a graded q-commutator, where q is a primitive N-th root of unity. The N-th power (N>1) of the differential of this graded q-differential algebra is equal to zero. We use our approach to construct the graded q-differential algebra in the case of a reduced quantum plane which can be endowed with a structure of a graded algebra. We consider the differential d satisfying d to power N equals zero as an analog of an exterior differential and study the first order differential calculus induced by this differential.Comment: 6 pages, submitted to the Proceedings of the "International Conference on High Energy and Mathematical Physics", Morocco, Marrakech, April 200

Graded Differential Geometry of Graded Matrix Algebras

We study the graded derivation-based noncommutative differential geometry of the $Z_2$-graded algebra ${\bf M}(n| m)$ of complex $(n+m)\times(n+m)$-matrices with the ``usual block matrix grading'' (for $n\neq m$). Beside the (infinite-dimensional) algebra of graded forms the graded Cartan calculus, graded symplectic structure, graded vector bundles, graded connections and curvature are introduced and investigated. In particular we prove the universality of the graded derivation-based first-order differential calculus and show, that ${\bf M}(n|m)$ is a ``noncommutative graded manifold'' in a stricter sense: There is a natural body map and the cohomologies of ${\bf M}(n|m)$ and its body coincide (as in the case of ordinary graded manifolds).Comment: 21 pages, LATE

Evidence Propagation and Consensus Formation in Noisy Environments

We study the effectiveness of consensus formation in multi-agent systems where there is both belief updating based on direct evidence and also belief combination between agents. In particular, we consider the scenario in which a population of agents collaborate on the best-of-n problem where the aim is to reach a consensus about which is the best (alternatively, true) state from amongst a set of states, each with a different quality value (or level of evidence). Agents' beliefs are represented within Dempster-Shafer theory by mass functions and we investigate the macro-level properties of four well-known belief combination operators for this multi-agent consensus formation problem: Dempster's rule, Yager's rule, Dubois & Prade's operator and the averaging operator. The convergence properties of the operators are considered and simulation experiments are conducted for different evidence rates and noise levels. Results show that a combination of updating on direct evidence and belief combination between agents results in better consensus to the best state than does evidence updating alone. We also find that in this framework the operators are robust to noise. Broadly, Yager's rule is shown to be the better operator under various parameter values, i.e. convergence to the best state, robustness to noise, and scalability.Comment: 13th international conference on Scalable Uncertainty Managemen

COMMENTS ABOUT HIGGS FIELDS, NONCOMMUTATIVE GEOMETRY AND THE STANDARD MODEL

We make a short review of the formalism that describes Higgs and Yang Mills fields as two particular cases of an appropriate generalization of the notion of connection. We also comment about the several variants of this formalism, their interest, the relations with noncommutative geometry, the existence (or lack of existence) of phenomenological predictions, the relation with Lie super-algebras etc.Comment: pp 20, LaTeX file, no figures, also available via anonymous ftp at ftp://cpt.univ-mrs.fr/ or via gopher gopher://cpt.univ-mrs.fr

A Model for Solid 3^3He: II

We propose a simple Ginzburg-Landau free energy to describe the magnetic phase transition in solid $^3$He. The free energy is analyzed with due consideration of the hard first order transitions at low magnetic fields. The resulting phase diagram contains all of the important features of the experimentally observed ph ase diagram. The free energy also yields a critical field at which the transition from the disordered state to the high field state changes from a first order to a second order one.Comment: This paper has been accepted for publication in Journal of Low Temperature Physics. Use regular Tex, with the D. Eardley version of Macros called jnl.tex. 10 pages, 4 figs available from [email protected]

Anytime Algorithms for Solving Possibilistic MDPs and Hybrid MDPs

The ability of an agent to make quick, rational decisions in an uncertain environment is paramount for its applicability in realistic settings. Markov Decision Processes (MDP) provide such a framework, but can only model uncertainty that can be expressed as probabilities. Possibilistic counterparts of MDPs allow to model imprecise beliefs, yet they cannot accurately represent probabilistic sources of uncertainty and they lack the efficient online solvers found in the probabilistic MDP community. In this paper we advance the state of the art in three important ways. Firstly, we propose the first online planner for possibilistic MDP by adapting the Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) algorithm. A key component is the development of efficient search structures to sample possibility distributions based on the DPY transformation as introduced by Dubois, Prade, and Yager. Secondly, we introduce a hybrid MDP model that allows us to express both possibilistic and probabilistic uncertainty, where the hybrid model is a proper extension of both probabilistic and possibilistic MDPs. Thirdly, we demonstrate that MCTS algorithms can readily be applied to solve such hybrid models. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016.This work is partially funded by EPSRC PACES project (Ref: EP/J012149/1).Peer Reviewe

Fatal anaphylactic sting reaction in a patient with mastocytosis

We report on a 33-year-old female patient with indolent systemic mastocytosis and urticaria pigmentosa who died of an anaphylactic reaction after a yellow jacket sting. As she had no history of previous anaphylactic sting reaction, there was no testing performed in order to detect hymenoptera venom sensitization. But even if a sensitization had been diagnosed, no venom immunotherapy (VIT) would have been recommended. It is almost certain that VIT would have saved her life and it is most likely that VIT is indicated in some patients with mastocytosis with no history of anaphylactic sting reaction. However, no criteria have been established in order to allow a selection of mastocytosis patients eligible for such a `prophylactic' VIT. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

Absolute Doubly Differential Cross Sections for Ejection of Secondary Electrons from Gases by Electron Impact. II. 100-500-eV Electrons on Neon, Argon, Molecular Hydrogen, and Molecular Nitrogen

Absolute doubly differential cross sections for secondary electron production by electron impact have been measured for static gas targets of neon, argon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Electron impact energies were from 100 to 500 eV. An electrostatic analyzer was used to analyze secondary electrons with energies between 4 eV and the primary electron energy minus the first ionization potential of the target. Angles of emission were 10° to 150°. The present data agree well with the data of Opal, Beaty, and Peterson at 90° but, as was observed previously for helium, the agreement becomes increasingly poorer for larger and smaller angles. This angular disagreement, which is independent of target gas and impact energy, is approximately given by a+(1-a) sin θ, where a=0.10±0.12. Previously we compared the experimental data of Opal, Beaty, and Peterson with calculations by Manson for helium and obtained a similar correction but with a=0.53. Recent Born-approximation calculations of Manson are compared with our 500- eV argon data. The calculations reproduce the angular distributions of the measured cross sections quite well for small secondary-electron energies. For intermediate energies the agreement is still quite good near the momentum-conservation peak but poorer for large scattering angles