A game semantics for disjunctive logic programming

Denotational semantics of logic programming and its extensions (by allowing negation, disjunctions, or both) have been studied thoroughly for many years. In 1998, a game semantics was given to definite logic programs by Di Cosmo, Loddo, and Nicolet, and a few years later it was extended to deal with negation by Rondogiannis and Wadge. Both approaches were proven equivalent to the traditional semantics. In this paper we define a game semantics for disjunctive logic programs and prove soundness and completeness with respect to the minimal model semantics of Minker. The overall development has been influenced by the games studied for PCF and functional programming in general, in the styles of Abramsky–Jagadeesan–Malacaria and Hyland–Ong–Nickau.     

Random Latin squares and 2-dimensional expanders

Expander graphs have been playing an important role in combinatorics and computer science over the last four decades. In recent years a theory of high dimensional expanders is emerging, but as of now all known examples of expanders (random and explicit) have unbounded degrees. The question of existence of bounded degree high dimensional expanders was raised by Gromov and by Dotterrer and Kahle. In this paper we present a new model, based on Latin squares, of 2-dimensional complexes of bounded edge degrees that are expanders with probability tending to 1.     

Imperative programs as proofs via game semantics

Game semantics extends the Curry–Howard isomorphism to a three-way correspondence: proofs, programs, strategies. But the universe of strategies goes beyond intuitionistic logics and lambda calculus, to capture stateful programs. In this paper we describe a logical counterpart to this extension, in which proofs denote such strategies. The system is expressive: it contains all of the connectives of Intuitionistic Linear Logic, and first-order quantification. Use of Laird?s sequoid operator allows proofs with imperative behaviour to be expressed. Thus, we can embed first-order Intuitionistic Linear Logic into this system, Polarized Linear Logic, and an imperative total programming language.     

Dichotomy Results for Fixed-Point Existence Problems for Boolean Dynamical Systems

A complete classification of the computational complexity of the fixed-point existence problem for Boolean dynamical systems, i.e., finite discrete dynamical systems over the domain {0, 1}, is presented. For function classes and graph classes , an ()-system is a Boolean dynamical system such that all local transition functions lie in and the underlying graph lies in . Let be a class of Boolean functions which is closed under composition and let be a class of graphs which is closed under taking minors. The following dichotomy theorems are shown: (1) If contains the self-dual functions and contains the planar graphs, then the fixed-point existence problem for ()-systems with local transition function given by truth-tables is NP-complete; otherwise, it is decidable in polynomial time. (2) If contains the self-dual functions and contains the graphs having vertex covers of size one, then the fixed-point existence problem for ()-systems with local transition function given by formulas or circuits is NP-complete; otherwise, it is decidable in polynomial time.      

Improved Low-Degree Testing and its Applications

NP = PCP(log n, 1) and related results crucially depend upon the close connection between the probability with which a function passes a low degree test and the distance of this function to the nearest degree d polynomial. In this paper we study a test proposed by Rubinfeld and Sudan [30]. The strongest previously known connection for this test states that a function passes the test with probability for some > 7/8 iff the function has agreement with a polynomial of degree d. We present a new, and surprisingly strong, analysis which shows that the preceding statement is true for arbitrarily small , provided the field size is polynomially larger than d/. The analysis uses a version of Hilbert irreducibility, a tool of algebraic geometry.As a consequence we obtain an alternate construction for the following proof system: A constant prover 1-round proof system for NP languages in which the verifier uses O(log n) random bits, receives answers of size O(log n) bits, and has an error probability of at most . Such a proof system, which implies the NP-hardness of approximating Set Cover to within (log n) factors, has already been obtained by Raz and Safra [29]. Raz and Safra obtain their result by giving a strong analysis, in the sense described above, of a new low-degree test that they present.A second consequence of our analysis is a self tester/corrector for any buggy program that (supposedly) computes a polynomial over a finite field. If the program is correct only on fraction of inputs where , then the tester/corrector determines and generates values for every input, such that one of them is the correct output. In fact, our results yield something stronger: Given the buggy program, we can construct randomized programs such that one of them is correct on every input, with high probability. Such a strong self-corrector is a useful tool in complexity theory—with some applications known.* Supported by an NSF CAREER award, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, and a Packard Fellowship. Part of this work was done when this author was at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center.     

Lower Bounds For Concurrent Zero Knowledge*

We consider zero knowledge interactive proofs in a richer, more realistic communication environment. In this setting, one may simultaneously engage in many interactive proofs, and these proofs may take place in an asynchronous fashion. It is known that zero-knowledge is not necessarily preserved in such an environment; we show that for a large class of protocols, it cannot be preserved. Any 4 round (computational) zero-knowledge interactive proof (or argument) for a non-trivial language L is not black-box simulatable in the asynchronous setting.* An abridge version of this work has appeared in [24].     

Improved bounds on the max-flow min-cut ratio for multicommodity flows

In this paper we consider the worst case ratio between the capacity of min-cuts and the value of max-flow for multicommodity flow problems. We improve the best known bounds for the min-cut max-flow ratio for multicommodity flows in undirected graphs, by replacing theO(logD) in the bound byO(logk), whereD denotes the sum of all demands, andk demotes the number of commodities. In essence we prove that up to constant factors the worst min-cut max-flow ratios appear in problems where demands are integral and polynomial in the number of commodities.Klein, Rao, Agrawal, and Ravi have previously proved that if the demands and the capacities are integral, then the min-cut max-flow ratio in general undirected graphs is bounded byO(logClogD), whereC denotes the sum of all the capacities. Tragoudas has improved this bound toO(lognlogD), wheren is the number of nodes in the network. Garg, Vazirani and Yannakakis further improved this toO(logklogD). Klein, Plotkin and Rao have proved that for planar networks, the ratio isO(logD).Our result improves the bound for general networks toO(log² k) and the bound for planar networks toO(logk). In both cases our result implies the first non-trivial bound that is independent of the magnitude of the numbers involved. The method presented in this paper can be used to give polynomial time approximation algorithms to the minimum cuts in the network up to the above factors.Preliminary version appeared in Proceedings of the 25th Annual ACM Symposium on the Theory of Computing, 1993, 691-697.Research supported by U.S. Army Research Office Grant DAAL-03-91-G-0102, and by a grant from Mitsubishi Electric Laboratories.Research supported in part by a Packard Fellowship, an NSF PYI award, a Sloan Fellowship, and by the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the Office of Naval Research, through NSF grant DMS-8920550.     

Full abstraction for Reduced ML

We present the first effectively presentable fully abstract model for Stark?s Reduced ML, a call-by-value higher-order programming language featuring integer-valued references. The model is constructed using techniques of nominal game semantics. Its distinctive feature is the presence of carefully restricted information about the store in plays, combined with conditions concerning the participants? ability to distinguish reference names. We show how it leads to an explicit characterization of program equivalence.     

TODA BRACKETS AND THE CATEGORY OF HOMOTOPY PAIRS

A new treatment is given of the cylinder-web diagram and associated diagonal sequences in homotopy pair theory. The efficiency of the diagram as a machine for computing homotopy pair groups is enhanced by a result that traces the path of a Toda bracket element through the arrows of the diagram. The diagonal factorization problem for a homotopy pair class is studied and related to the behaviour of Toda brackets. A necessary and sufficient condition for the vanishing of a Toda bracket is obtained.     

Qualitative versus quantitative fixed point techniques in computer science

In 1970, a qualitative fixed point technique useful to model the recursive specifications in denotational semantics was developed by means of the celebrated Kleene‘s fixed point theorem. Later on, in 1994 and 1995, quantitative counterparts of the aforesaid technique, but now based on generalized versions of Banach fixed point theorem, were obtained in such a way that the spirit of Kleene‘s technique was preserved. These new techniques are able to provide a measure of the information content degree and this fact has constituted an advantage with respect to the qualitative techniques. The main purpose of this paper is to discern the relationship between the aforementioned qualitative and quantitative fixed point techniques. In particular, we clarify what is the additional real contribution of the quantitative fixed point techniques with respect to the qualitative ones.     

Ensemble Learning Using Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms

Multi-objective evolutionary algorithms for the construction of neural ensembles is a relatively new area of research. We recently proposed an ensemble learning algorithm called DIVACE (DIVerse and ACcurate Ensemble learning algorithm). It was shown that DIVACE tries to find an optimal trade-off between diversity and accuracy as it searches for an ensemble for some particular pattern recognition task by treating these two objectives explicitly separately. A detailed discussion of DIVACE together with further experimental studies form the essence of this paper. A new diversity measure which we call Pairwise Failure Crediting (PFC) is proposed. This measure forms one of the two evolutionary pressures being exerted explicitly in DIVACE. Experiments with this diversity measure as well as comparisons with previously studied approaches are hence considered. Detailed analysis of the results show that DIVACE, as a concept, has promise.     

On the homology of elementary Abelian groups as modules over the Steenrod algebra

We examine the dual of the so-called “hit problem”, the latter being the problem of determining a minimal generating set for the cohomology of products of infinite projective spaces as a module over the Steenrod Algebra A at the prime 2. The dual problem is to determine the set of A-annihilated elements in homology. The set of A-annihilateds has been shown by David Anick to be a free associative algebra. In this note we prove that, for each k≥0, the set of kpartiallyA-annihilateds, the set of elements that are annihilated by Sqⁱ for each i≤2^k, itself forms a free associative algebra.     

Information categories

Information systems have been introduced by Dana Scott as a convenient means of presenting a certain class of domains of computation, usually known as Scott domains. Essentially the same idea has been developed, if less systematically, by various authors in connection with other classes of domains. In previous work, the present authors introduced the notion of anI-category as an abstraction and enhancement of this idea, with emphasis on the solution ofdomain equations of the formD F(D), withF a functor. An important feature of the work is that we arenot confined to domains of computation as usually understood; other classes of spaces, more familiar to mathematicians in general, become also accessible. Here we present the idea in terms of what we callinformation categories, which are concrete I-categories in which the objects are structured sets of tokens and morphisms are relations between tokens. This is more in the spirit of information system work, and enables more specific results to be obtained. Following an account of the general theory, several examples are discussed in some detail: Stone spaces (as an ordinary mathematical example), Scott domains, SFP domains, and continuous bounded complete domains.     

Onm-separated projection spaces

Closure operators in the category of projection spaces are investigated. It is shown that completeness, absolutes-closure ands-injectivity coincide in the subcategory of separated projection spaces and that there compactness with respect to projections implies completeness.Dedicated to Nico Pumplün on the occasion of his 60th birthdayPartial financial support by the Italian Ministry of Public Education is gratefully acknowledged.     

A parallel algorithm for the maximal path problem

In this paper we present anO (log⁵ n) time parallel algorithm for constructing a Maximal Path in an undirected graph. We also give anO (log^1/2+ε) time parallel algorithm for constructing a depth first search tree in an undirected graph. This work was supported in part by an IBM Faculty Development Award, an NSF Graduate Fellowship, and NSF grant DCR-8351757.     

Nonlinear reduction for solving deficient polynomial systems by continuation methods

Summary Neither continuation methods, nor symbolic elimination methods can be directly applied to compute all finite solutions to polynomial systems, because the amount of computational time is mostly not proportional to the dimension of the system and to the number of finite solutions. The notion of S-polynomials is used to developed a reduction algorithm to lower the total degree of the deficient polynomial system, so that computing the solutions at infinity can be avoided. Applying the reduction algorithm before solving the system with continuation methods, yields a reliable solution method.     

An axiomatic semantics for nested concurrency

We give transformation rules for the concurrent parts of Hoare's language CSP, transforming concurrent CSP programs into nondeterministic, sequential programs.On the basis of these transformations we define an axiomatic semantics for CSP with nested concurrency.This axiomatic system includes a rule for binary, associative process composition, enabling modular verification dealing with parts of concurrent systems as well as full programs.The proof system is fully abstract, in the sense that the internal structure of processes is irrelevant in the specification inasmuch it is not externally observable.An outline of a verification of a recursive, concurrent sorter is given as an example.     

A measure of the deviation from there being fibrations between a pair of compact manifolds

In this paper we first study the topology of certain manifold complements. The obtained results are then used to show that the φ-category (cf. Lusternik-Schnirelmann category) of some pairs of manifolds is infinite. Finally, in the last section the equivariant case is considered, examples of equivariant mappings with infinitely many critical orbits being provided.     

A robust multigrid approach for variational image registration models

Variational registration models are non-rigid and deformable imaging techniques for accurate registration of two images. As with other models for inverse problems using the Tikhonov regularization, they must have a suitably chosen regularization term as well as a data fitting term. One distinct feature of registration models is that their fitting term is always highly nonlinear and this nonlinearity restricts the class of numerical methods that are applicable. This paper first reviews the current state-of-the-art numerical methods for such models and observes that the nonlinear fitting term is mostly ‘avoided’ in developing fast multigrid methods. It then proposes a unified approach for designing fixed point type smoothers for multigrid methods. The diffusion registration model (second-order equations) and a curvature model (fourth-order equations) are used to illustrate our robust methodology. Analysis of the proposed smoothers and comparisons to other methods are given. As expected of a multigrid method, being many orders of magnitude faster than the unilevel gradient descent approach, the proposed numerical approach delivers fast and accurate results for a range of synthetic and real test images.     

On the maximum cardinality search lower bound for treewidth

The Maximum Cardinality Search (MCS) algorithm visits the vertices of a graph in some order, such that at each step, an unvisited vertex that has the largest number of visited neighbours becomes visited. A maximum cardinality search ordering (MCS-ordering) of a graph is an ordering of the vertices that can be generated by the MCS algorithm. The visited degree of a vertex v in an MCS-ordering is the number of neighbours of v that are before v in the ordering. The visited degree of an MCS-ordering ψ of G is the maximum visited degree over all vertices v in ψ. The maximum visited degree over all MCS-orderings of graph G is called its maximum visited degree. Lucena [A new lower bound for tree-width using maximum cardinality search, SIAM J. Discrete Math. 16 (2003) 345-353] showed that the treewidth of a graph G is at least its maximum visited degree.We show that the maximum visited degree is of size O(logn) for planar graphs, and give examples of planar graphs G with maximum visited degree k with O(k!) vertices, for all k∈N. Given a graph G, it is NP-complete to determine if its maximum visited degree is at least k, for any fixed k?7. Also, this problem does not have a polynomial time approximation algorithm with constant ratio, unless P=NP. Variants of the problem are also shown to be NP-complete.In this paper, we also propose some heuristics for the problem, and report on an experimental analysis of them. Several tiebreakers for the MCS algorithm are proposed and evaluated. We also give heuristics that give upper bounds on the value of the maximum visited degree of a graph, which appear to give results close to optimal on many graphs from real life applications.