On the covering problem for unambiguous context-free grammars /

"UIUCDCS-R-74-624"

LINGOL, a readable formalism for programming language semantics /

"UILU-ENG 77 1766."

A comparative discussion of variable-valued logic and grammatical inference /

Bibliography: p. 45-46.

On the strong covering problem for LR(k) grammars /

"UIUCDCS-R-74-625"

Fuzzy logic in web data mining for website assessment

This paper proposes a novel application of fuzzy logic to web data mining for two basic problems of a website: popularity and satisfaction. Popularity means that people will visit the website while satisfaction refers to the usefulness of the site. We will illustrate that the popularity of a website is a fuzzy logic problem. It is an important characteristic of a website in order to survive in Internet commerce. The satisfaction of a website is also a fuzzy logic problem that represents the degree of success in the application of information technology to the business. We propose a framework of fuzzy logic for the representation of these two problems based on web data mining techniques to fuzzify the attributes of a website.

Architectural design in object-z

We present a process for introducing an object-oriented architecture into an abstract functional specification written in Object-Z. Since the design is derived from the specification, correctness concerns are addressed as pan of the design process. We base our approach on refactoring rules that apply to class structure, and use the rules to implement design patterns. As a motivating example, we introduce a user-interface design that follows the model-view-controller paradigm into an existing specification.

Refactoring object-z specifications

Object-Z offers an object-oriented means for structuring formal specifications. We investigate the application of refactoring rules to add and remove structure from such specifications to forge object-oriented designs. This allows us to tractably move from an abstract functional description of a system toward a lower-level design suitable for implementation on an object-oriented platform.

Formalising progress properties of non-blocking programs

A non-blocking program is one that uses non-blocking primitives, such as load-linked/store-conditional and compare-and-swap, for synchronisation instead of locks so that no process is ever blocked. According to their progress properties, non-blocking programs may be classified as wait-free, lock-free or obstruction-free. However, a precise description of these properties does not exist and it is not unusual to find a definition that is ambiguous or even incorrect. We present a formal definition of the progress properties so that any confusion is removed. The formalisation also allows one to prove the widely believed presumption that wait-freedom is a special case of lock-freedom, which in turn is a special case of obstruction-freedom.

The development of a semantic model for the interpretation of mathematics including the use of technology

The semantic model developed in this research was in response to the difficulty a group of mathematics learners had with conventional mathematical language and their interpretation of mathematical constructs. In order to develop the model ideas from linguistics, psycholinguistics, cognitive psychology, formal languages and natural language processing were investigated. This investigation led to the identification of four main processes: the parsing process, syntactic processing, semantic processing and conceptual processing. The model showed the complex interdependency between these four processes and provided a theoretical framework in which the behaviour of the mathematics learner could be analysed. The model was then extended to include the use of technological artefacts into the learning process. To facilitate this aspect of the research, the theory of instrumentation was incorporated into the semantic model. The conclusion of this research was that although the cognitive processes were interdependent, they could develop at different rates until mastery of a topic was achieved. It also found that the introduction of a technological artefact into the learning environment introduced another layer of complexity, both in terms of the learning process and the underlying relationship between the four cognitive processes.

“I haven’t had that much fun since labour.” Subtitling sarco-ironic remarks in Gilmore Girls

The purpose of this study is to explore how the potential cues of spoken sarcasm and irony are transferred into written Finnish subtitles in the American television series Gilmore Girls. The aim is to discover how the use of cuing differs between the English source text and the Finnish target text. The research is conducted through qualitative and quantitative analysis and comparison between the two languages. Three (3) episodes from Gilmore Girls are analysed using the Finnish DVD subtitles and the episodes’ English unofficial transcripts. The sarco-ironic remarks and their translations are identified, and their individual sarco-ironic cues are categorised. The number of cues, the number of cues in each category and the number of cue shifts are compared quantitatively in order to find whether the translator uses less or different cues than the writer of the original source text. The qualitative analysis focuses on the cue types used in both texts. The results confirmed the hypothesis of sarcasm and irony being relatively straightforward linguistic phenomena to translate, and the hypothesis of the category of words of reinforcement/trivialising being the most used in conveying sarcasm and irony. However, the study also showed that even though some cues were cut in the translation process, the sarco-ironic meaning was rarely omitted entirely from the translation. The findings also showed that the number of cue shifts was surprisingly low. From these results we can deduce that at least in the context of DVD subtitles, sarcasm and irony can be conveyed also in writing, and even though some cues were omitted or shifted, sarcasm and irony were still detectable in the Finnish subtitles. The language used in DVD translations uses less cues of sarcasm and irony and it could thus be considered less versatile than the original source language.

LA PRODUCCIÓN DE SIGNIFICADOS Y REPRESENTACIONES DEL ESPACIO POR LA GEOGRAFÍA ESCOLAR: POSIBILIDADES Y LIMITACIONES EN LOS MAPAS

ResumenPresentamos en este artículo una reflexión sobre la producción de los significados y representaciones del espacio geográfico, a partir de una discusión sobre educación escolar en el componente curricular, Geografía en la Educación Básica. Proponemos una interrogación acerca de su aporte en la construcción de las percepciones espaciales, desencadenando este pensar especialmente sobre el uso, las limitaciones y las posibilidades reveladas en los mapas. De ese modo, invitamos a un cuestionamiento sobre las formas de utilización de ese recurso, que exige elecciones codificadas, simplificadas y representadas según criterios de escalas, símbolos y proyecciones cartográficas.Discutimos cómo la Geografía escolar utiliza los mapas y cómo propone los significados y representaciones de ese lenguaje en imagen, en la medida que son configuraciones producidas y cuyos contenidos son escogidos. Argumentamos que la educación escolar responde en gran parte a las representaciones construidas por las personas. Por eso, el presente texto es un ejercicio relevante para los educadores en general, una invitación al análisis de la utilización de los lenguajes específicos de cada área del conocimiento. Fortalecemos, de esa manera, el debate sobre las producciones de las representaciones, esenciales en los movimientos de la vida cotidiana de las personas que pasan por la escuela proyectando un currículo más abierto.Palabras clave: Aprendizaje escolar, significados, representaciones, Geografía escolar, mapa.AbstractWe present in this article a reflection on the production of meanings and representations in the geographical space, from a discussion on school education in the curriculum component, Geography in Basic Education. We propose a question about its contribution to the construction of spatial perceptions, triggering an analysis particularly about the use, limitations and opportunities revealed in the maps.Thus, we invite for discussion ways of utilizing that resource which requires encoded choices, simplified and represented according to criteria of scale, symbols and map projections. We discuss how the Geography student uses the maps and how the student applies the meanings and representations of that picture language in the settings as they are produced and whose contents are chosen.We argue that education is greatly due to the representations constructed by people. Therefore, this text is an important exercise for educators in general, an invitation to the analysis of the use of specific languages for each area of knowledge. In this way, we strengthen the debate over the production of essential representations in the movements of the daily life of the people passing through the school by projecting a more open curriculum.Key words: Elementary education, meanings, representations, school geography, maps.

Modeling of Distributed Control Systems in Intelligent Building based on Colored Petri Nets

Distributed control systems consist of sensors, actuators and controllers, interconnected by communication networks and are characterized by a high number of concurrent process. This work presents a proposal for a procedure to model and analyze communication networks for distributed control systems in intelligent building. The approach considered for this purpose is based on the characterization of the control system as a discrete event system and application of coloured Petri net as a formal method for specification, analysis and verification of control solutions. With this approach, we develop the models that compose the communication networks for the control systems of intelligent building, which are considered the relationships between the various buildings systems. This procedure provides a structured development of models, facilitating the process of specifying the control algorithm. An application example is presented in order to illustrate the main features of this approach.