Distributed Protocols at the Rescue for Trustworthy Online Voting

While online services emerge in all areas of life, the voting procedure in many democracies remains paper-based as the security of current online voting technology is highly disputed. We address the issue of trustworthy online voting protocols and recall therefore their security concepts with its trust assumptions. Inspired by the Bitcoin protocol, the prospects of distributed online voting protocols are analysed. No trusted authority is assumed to ensure ballot secrecy. Further, the integrity of the voting is enforced by all voters themselves and without a weakest link, the protocol becomes more robust. We introduce a taxonomy of notions of distribution in online voting protocols that we apply on selected online voting protocols. Accordingly, blockchain-based protocols seem to be promising for online voting due to their similarity with paper-based protocols

Encoding databases satisfying a given set of dependencies

Consider a relation schema with a set of dependency constraints. A fundamental question is what is the minimum space where the possible instances of the schema can be "stored". We study the following model. Encode the instances by giving a function which maps the set of possible instances into the set of words of a given length over the binary alphabet in a decodable way. The problem is to find the minimum length needed. This minimum is called the information content of the database. We investigate several cases where the set of dependency constraints consist of relatively simple sets of functional or multivalued dependencies. We also consider the following natural extension. Is it possible to encode the instances such a way that small changes in the instance cause a small change in the code. © 2012 Springer-Verlag

Théâtre réparti : scénographies pour une représentation répartie sur plusieurs sites

De nouvelles formes d’expression théâtrale, de scénographie sont rendues accessibles par le développement de nouvelles technologies. Il devient envisageable d’élaborer une scénographie répartie sur plusieurs sites. Dans cette scénographie, chaque site produit une partie de la scène. Ces parties sont rassemblées par transmission électronique, puis traitées par informatique pour composer la scène globale en respectant la contrainte que les spectateurs des différents sites assistent à la même représentation. Cette étude s’inscrit dans une démarche de création de scénographies dont un des maîtres contemporains est Jacques Polieri. Par ailleurs, nous nous appuyons sur des recherches menées par Béatrice Picon-Vallin relatives aux écrans sur la scène et Franck Bauchard sur théâtre et numérique. Enfin nous faisons référence à des technologies qui s’apparentent au domaine de la réalité virtuelle, dont des précurseurs dans le domaine de la création théâtrale sont Brenda Laurel et Mark Reaney. Partant de la traditionnelle scène à l’italienne, le cheminement adopté dans cet article consiste à concevoir des scénographies et les technologies associées, en suivant une progression logique vers l’objectif : théâtre réparti.New forms of scenography are made available by the development of new technologies. The "distributed theater" concept involves a scenography which is distributed on different sites, where each site provides a part of the whole scene, and where these parts are gathered making the whole scene. Each spectator sees the same play. Thanks to new technologies including cameras, projectors, screens, computers, this kind of scenography is now becoming possible. The technology will allow us to capture, process, transmit and project the play of each site to the others. Without pretention, this study shares the same approach to a scenography design as the one followed by Jacques Polieri. It has been inspired by the works of Béatrice Picon-Vallin dealing with the screens on stage, and Franck Bauchard dealing with theater and numerical technology. Furthermore it introduces technologies which belong to the domain of virtual reality investigated by forerunners like Brenda Laurel and Mark Reaney. Starting from the traditional Italian stage, this paper goes on in a logical progression, to design scenographies and the corresponding technologies, towards the goal of the distributed theater

Writing a Book for the First Time: A Few Things to Consider

This workshop will focus on the book writing process, how to get started, and managing the overall project

Digital Platforms: A New Grammar for Territories?

Digital platforms are reshaping the geometry of the world. Their wide adoption by the population worldwide for an increasing number of activities, confer them a dominant position, which challenges established powers. Their control over the global flow of data and their algorithmic treatment leads to new asymmetries of power. New systems emerge, that unlike the Westphalian States do not correspond to territories on a map, but to complex networks controlling sectors of activities at a global scale. It is a real challenge and a necessity to reinvent a grammar of territories, to be able to grasp the new objects and their dependencies, and address the related issues of social justice and sustainable interaction with our planet

Strategies for Improving the Diversity of the Health Professions

Evaluates programs and strategies that were designed to increase the number of underrepresented African Americans, Native Americans, and Latinos in the health professions in California. Includes recommendations

The World upside down, China's R&D and innovation strategy

Intervention au séminaire "BRICs" du 14 novembre 2011, sur le thème : "La stratégie de Recherche et Développement et l'innovation en Chine "R&D and innovation have become much more strategic than ever before for the growth of China as well as for its global societal upgrade. The Chinese authorities have designed an innovation strategy to face new economic and social challenges. The first part of the paper is focused on the emergence of the policy, in the 2006-2020 Plan for S&T, with a historical perspective explaining the legacy of the past in today's choices. In the second part, we illustrate China's catching up strategy through four sectors (high-speed trains, aeronautics, clean energy, IT) and discuss its potential impact on the world industry.La R&D et l'innovation sont plus stratégiques que jamais pour la croissance de la Chine aussi bien que pour le progrès global de sa société. Les autorités chinoises ont mis en place une stratégie d'innovation pour affronter de nouveaux défis économiques et sociaux. La première partie de ce papier se concentre sur l'émergence de cette politique, dans le Plan de 2006-2020 pour les Sciences et Techniques, avec une perspective historique qui explique l'héritage du passé dans les choix contemporains. Dans la seconde partie, nous illustrons la stratégie de rattrapage de la Chine dans quatre secteurs (les trains à grande vitesse, l'aéronautique, l'énergie propre et technologies de l'information) et discutons de ses impacts potentiels sur l'industrie dans le monde