Some Notes on the Linear Complexity of Sidel’nikov-Lempel-Cohn-Eastman Sequences

We continue the study of the linear complexity of binary sequences, independently introduced by Sidel’nikov and Lempel, Cohn, and Eastman. These investigations were originated by Helleseth and Yang and extended by Kyureghyan and Pott. We determine the exact linear complexity of several families of these sequences using well-known results on cyclotomic numbers. Moreover, we prove a general lower bound on the linear complexity profile for all of these sequences.     

On the security analysis of an image scrambling encryption of pixel bit and its improved scheme based on self-correlation encryption

An image scrambling encryption scheme for pixel bits was presented by Ye [Ye GD. Image scrambling encryption algorithm of pixel bit based on chaos map. Pattern Recognit Lett 2010;31:347-54], which can be seen as one kind of typical binary image scrambling encryption considering from the bit-plain of size M × (8N). However, recently, some defects existing in the original image encryption scheme, i.e., Ye’s scheme, have been observed by Li and Lo [Li CQ, Lo KT. Optimal quantitative cryptanalysis of permutation-only multimedia ciphers against plaintext attacks. Signal Process 2011;91:949-54]. In the attack proposed by Li and Lo at least 3 + ⌈log₂(MN)⌉ plain images of size M × N are used to reveal the permutation matrix W = [w(i, k)] (i ∈ {1, 2, … , M}; k ∈ {1, 2, … , 8N}) which can be applied to recover the exact plain image. In the current paper, at first, one type of special plain image/cipher image is used to analyze the security weakness of the original image scrambling scheme under study. The final encryption vectors TM and TN or the decryption vectors TM′ and TN′ are revealed completely according to our attack. To demonstrate the performance of our attack, a quantified comparison is drawn between our attack and the attack proposed by Li and Lo. Compared with Li and Lo’s attack, our attack is more efficient in the general conditions. In particular, when the sizes of images satisfy the condition M = N or M ? 8N, the number of the used plain images/cipher images is at most 9, which is sharply less than 3 + ⌈log₂(MN)⌉ when M and N are of large size. To overcome the weaknesses of the original scheme, in this paper, an improved image scrambling encryption scheme is proposed. In the improved scheme, the idea of the “self-correlation” method is used to resist the chosen-plaintext attack/known-plaintext attack. The corresponding simulations and analyses illustrate that the improved encryption method has good cryptographic properties, and can overcome the weakness of the original image encryption scheme. Finally, farther improvement is briefly presented for the future work.     

A new kernel function yielding the best known iteration bounds for primal-dual interior-point algorithms

Kernel functions play an important role in defining new search directions for primal-dual interior-point algorithm for solving linear optimization problems. In this paper we present a new kernel function which yields an algorithm with the best known complexity bound for both large- and small-update methods.     

Computational representations of architectural design for tall buildings

Building design process is a significantly complex procedure taking into account many different factors and variables, such as the site context, environment, material availability, cost, and function. One of the most complex forms in the built environment is tall building because of the scale, design considerations, and multidisciplinary nature. This article discusses development of ontological model for understanding, presenting, relating, and managing knowledge influencing architectural design of tall buildings. Ontology is a knowledge‐based model that represents certain domain by abstraction of concepts, and a network of relationships and properties describing these concepts. By creating an architectural ontology, the factors, relations, and characteristics in the design process can be clearly defined and presented. The model incorporates physical systems such as structure, building elements, and geometry, as well as environmental effects, social aspects and other complex attributes. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2009     

Further bounds for waiting time distributions and their means in the case ρ<1

In the paper exponential bounds for the instationary and stationary waiting time d.f.'s in GI/GI/1/∞, derived by several authors partly using martingale theory arguments, are improved with the help of monotonicity properties. Further it is shown that Ne?eptjrenko's bound for the rate of convergence of the mean waiting time in single server queues Is also valid for many server queues with ρ < 1.     

A note on the complexity and tractability of the heat equation

We wish to solve the heat equation u_t=Δu-qu in I^d×(0,T), where I is the unit interval and T is a maximum time value, subject to homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions and to initial conditions u(·,0)=f over I^d. We show that this problem is intractable if f belongs to standard Sobolev spaces, even if we have complete information about q. However, if f and q belong to a reproducing kernel Hilbert space with finite-order weights, we can show that the problem is tractable, and can actually be strongly tractable.     

Some properties of the bilevel programming problem

The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on the difficulties accompanying the development of efficient algorithms for solving the bilevel programming problem (BLPP). We begin with a pair of examples showing that, even under the best of circumstances, solutions may not exist. This is followed by a proof that the BLPP is NP-hard.This work was partially supported by a grant from the Advanced Research Program of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.     

Active constraints,indefinite quadratic test problems,and complexity

The observation that at leasts constraints are active when the Hessian of the Lagrangian hass negative eigenvalues at a local minimizer is used to obtain two results: (i) a class of nearly concave quadratic minimization problem can be solved in polynomial time; (ii) a class of indefinite quadratic test problems can be constructed with a specified number of positive and negative eigenvalues and with a known global minimizer.The authors thank the reviewers for their constructive comments. The first author was supported by the National Science Foundation Grant DMS-85-20926 and by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Grant AFOSR-ISSA-86-0091.