Computer-supported analysis of scientific measurements

In the past decade, large-scale databases and knowledge bases have become available to researchers working in a range of scientific disciplines. In many cases these databases and knowledge bases contain measurements of properties of physical objects which have been obtained in experiments or at observation sites. As examples, one can think of crystallographic databases with molecular structures and property databases in materials science. These large collections of measurements, which will be called measurement bases, form interesting resources for scientific research. By analyzing the contents of a measurement base, one may be able to find patterns that are of practical and theoretical importance. With the use of measurement bases as a resource for scientific inquiry questions arise about the quality of the data being analyzed. In particular, the occurrence of conflicts and systematic errors raises doubts about the reliability of a measurement base and compromises any patterns found in it. On the other hand, conflicts and systematic errors may be interesting patterns in themselves and warrant further investigation. These considerations motivate the topic that will be addressed in this thesis: the development of systematic methods for detecting and resolving con icts and identifying\ud systematic errors in measurement bases. These measurement analysis (MA) methods are implemented in a computer system supporting the user of the measurement base

Computer programs simplify optical system analysis

The optical ray-trace computer program performs geometrical ray tracing. The energy-trace program calculates the relative monochromatic flux density on a specific target area. This program uses the ray-trace program as a subroutine to generate a representation of the optical system

Computer-aided analysis of Riemann sheet structures

We report on experience with an investigation of the analytic structure of the solution of certain algebraic complex equations. In particular the behavior of their series expansions around the origin is discussed. The investigation imposes the need for an analysis of the singularities and the Riemann sheets of the solution, in which numerical methods are used.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, uses a4wide.sty, amsmath.sty and axodraw.st

Cost‐effectiveness analysis of computer‐based assessment

The need for more cost‐effective and pedagogically acceptable combinations of teaching and learning methods to sustain increasing student numbers means that the use of innovative methods, using technology, is accelerating. There is an expectation that economies of scale might provide greater cost‐effectiveness whilst also enhancing student learning. The difficulties and complexities of these expectations are considered in this paper, which explores the challenges faced by those wishing to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of computer‐based assessment (CBA). The paper outlines the outcomes of a survey which attempted to gather information about the costs and benefits of CBA

Computer‐simulated experiments and computer games: A method of design analysis

This paper describes a new research programme to design computer‐simulated experiments in the field of fuels and combustion, and describes a method of categorization based on a taxonomy proposed by Gredler. The key features which enhance science content and process skills are identified The simulations are designed to be as realistic as possible, and are built using three‐dimensional computer‐aided design, rendering and animation tools, with the intention of creating an interactive virtual laboratory on the computer screen. A number of computer games are also categorized against the computer simulations and the same taxonomy for comparison. The paper then describes how designers of computer simulations can add to their own learning by retrospectively analysing their own simulations

Computer-aided analysis of concurrent systems

The introduction of concurrency into programs has added to the complexity of the software design process. This is most evident in the design of communications protocols where concurrency is inherent to the behavior of the system. The complexity exhibited by such software systems makes more evident the needs for computer-aided tools for automatically analyzing behavior.The Distributed Systems project at UCI has been developing a suite of tools, based on Petri nets, which support the design and evaluation of concurrent software systems. This paper focuses attention on one of the tools: the reachability graph analyzer (RGA). This tool provides mechanisms for proving general system properties (e.g., deadlock-freeness) as well as system-specific properties. The tool is sufficiently general to allow a user to apply complex user-defined analysis algorithms to reachability graphs. The alternating-bit protocol with a bounded channel is used to demonstrate the power of the tool and to point to future extensions