Model checking temporal knowledge and commitments in multi-agent systems using reduction

Though modeling and verifying Multi-Agent Systems (MASs) have long been under study, there are still challenges when many different aspects need to be considered simultaneously. In fact, various frameworks have been carried out for modeling and verifying MASs with respect to knowledge and social commitments independently. However, considering them under the same framework still needs further investigation, particularly from the verification perspective. In this article, we present a new technique for model checking the logic of knowledge and commitments (CTLKC⁺). The proposed technique is fully-automatic and reduction-based in which we transform the problem of model checking CTLKC⁺ into the problem of model checking an existing logic of action called ARCTL. Concretely, we construct a set of transformation rules to formally reduce the CTLKC⁺ model into an ARCTL model and CTLKC⁺ formulae into ARCTL formulae to get benefit from the extended version of NuSMV symbolic model checker of ARCTL. Compared to a recent approach that reduces the problem of model checking CTLKC⁺ to another logic of action called GCTL¹, our technique has better scalability and efficiency. We also analyze the complexity of the proposed model checking technique. The results of this analysis reveal that the complexity of our reduction-based procedure is PSPACE-complete for local concurrent programs with respect to the size of these programs and the length of the formula being checked. From the time perspective, we prove that the complexity of the proposed approach is P-complete with regard to the size of the model and length of the formula, which makes it efficient. Finally, we implement our model checking approach on top of extended NuSMV and report verification results for the verification of the NetBill protocol, taken from business domain, against some desirable properties. The obtained results show the effectiveness of our model checking approach when the system scales up.     

"适可而止"--"集合设计"在浙大网新科技园上的设计策略

“适可而止”是一种态度。文章用这个词归纳并品评了“集合设计”在浙大网新科技园项目上的设计策略。实际上,这种态度不仅体现在本项目的操作上,也反映在大部分中国建筑师目前时常面临的选择当中——关键是态度的指向能否逐渐形成更多积极性的策略。文章希望在追求“单纯性”、设计实验、细节控制和如何介入城市空间等方面的讨论能引导更多的读者有意识地用批判的眼光反观和印证自己的设计实践。     

一种基于Normal基椭圆曲线密码芯片的设计

文章设计了一款椭圆曲线密码芯片。实现了GF（2^233）域上normal基椭圆曲线数字签名和认证。并支持椭圆曲线参数的用户配置。在VLSI的实现上，提出了一种新的可支持GF（2^233）域和GF（p）域并行运算的normal基椭圆曲线VLSI架构。其架构解决了以往GF（p）CA算迟后于GF（2^233）域运算的问题，从而提高了整个芯片的运算吞吐率。基于SMIC 0．18μm最坏的工艺，综合后关键路径最大时延3．8ns，面积18mm^2；考虑布局布线的影响，芯片的典型的情况下，每秒可实现8000次签名或4500次认证。     

麻柳场嘉二3储层酸化工艺室内实验研究

储层酸化改造是低渗碳酸盐岩油气藏增产的主要措施之一。由于储层性质不同，改造方案的实施效果差异较大。对麻柳场嘉二^3储层酸化工艺室内实验研究和现场实践发现，胶束酸多级注入酸化-闭合酸化工艺对川南麻柳场嘉陵江组的储层改造行之有效。     

Investigation into polishing process of CVD diamond films

A new technique used for polishing chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond films has been investigated, by which rough polishing of the CVD diamond films can be achieved efficiently. A CVD diamond film is coated with a thin layer of electrically conductive material in advance, and then electro-discharge machining (EDM) is used to machine the coated surface. As a result, peaks on the surface of the diamond film are removed rapidly. During machining, graphitization of diamond enables the EDM process to continue. The single pulse discharge shows that the material of the coated layer evidently affects removal behavior of the CVD diamond films. Compared with the machining of ordinary metal materials, the process of EDM CVD diamond films possesses a quite different characteristic. The removal mechanism of the CVD diamond films is discussed.     

Proving termination of GHC programs

A transformational approach for proving termination of parallel logic programs such as GHC programs is proposed. A transformation from GHC programs to term rewriting systems is developed; it exploits the fact that unifications in GHC-resolution correspond to matchings. The termination of a GHC program for a class of queries is implied by the termination of the resulting rewrite system. This approach facilitates the applicability of a wide range of termination techniques developed for rewrite systems in proving termination of GHC programs. The method consists of three steps: (a) deriving moding information from a given GHC program, (b) transforming the GHC program into a term rewriting system using the moding information, and finally (c) proving termination of the resulting rewrite system. Using this method, the termination of many benchmark GHC programs such as quick-sort, merge-sort, merge, split, fair-split and append, etc., can be proved. This is a revised and extended version of Ref. 12). The work was partially supported by the NSF Indo-US grant INT-9416687 Kapur was partially supported by NSF Grant nos. CCR-8906678 and INT-9014074. M. R. K. Krishna Rao, Ph.D.: He currently works as a senior research fellow at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. His current interests are in the areas of logic programming, modular aspects and noncopying implementations of term rewriting, learning logic programs from examples and conuterexamples and dynamics of mental states in rational agent architectures. He received his Ph.D in computer science from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bombay in 1993 and worked at TIFR and Max Planck Institut für Informatik, Saarbrücken until January 1997. Deepak Kapur, Ph.D.: He currently works as a professor at the State University of New York at Albany. His research interests are in the areas of automated reasoning, term rewriting, constraint solving, algebraic and geometric reasoning and its applications in computer vision, symbolic computation, formal methods, specification and verification. He obtained his Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT in 1980. He worked at General Electric Corporate Research and Development until 1987. Prof. Kapur is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Automated Reasoning. He also serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Logic Programming, Journal on Constraints, and Journal of Applicable Algebra in Engineering, Communication and Computer Science. R. K. Shyamasundar, Ph.D.: He currently works as a professor at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bombay. His current intersts are in the areas of logic programming, reactive and real time programming, constraint solving, formal methods, specification and verification. He received his Ph.D in computer science from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 1975 and has been a faculty member at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research since then. He has been a visiting/regular faculty member at Technological University of Eindhoven, University of Utrecht, IBM TJ Watson Research Centre, Pennsylvania State University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, INRIA and ENSMP, France. He has served on (and chaired) Program Committees of many International Conferences and has been on the Editorial Committees.     

均匀设计法在烷基糖苷合成中的应用

在烷基糖苷的合成反应中，影响糖苷得率的因素很多，且各因素之间又存在着相互牵制作用。为了探索合成的最佳条件，我们采用了均匀实验设计法。实验证明：它特别适用于多因素多水平的实验设计，同时减少了实验的次数，降低了实验的费用，提高了工作效率。     

Clay compaction modelling by homogenization theory

The modelling of hydromechanical behavior of clayey sediments by homogenization theory is described. The rheological model of clays buried in depth requires a three-dimensional approach and laboratory experiments to quantify the model parameters. An iterative process which can be coupled to any homogenization method is used to model the porous media behavior. Hydromechanical compaction results from oedometric experiments are simulated with the proposed model.     

Experimental and simulation studies of gas sorption processes in polycarbonate films

This work reports the experimental isotherms describing the concentration of oxygen and nitrogen in poly(bisphenol A carbonate-co-4,4′-(3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexylidene) diphenol carbonate) vs pressure, at 30 °C. The solubility coefficients are interpreted in terms of the Flory-Huggins theory, obtaining reasonable values for the enthalpic polymer-gas parameter. A new method is outlined to simulate the probabilities of inserting/removing a gas molecule in a host matrix already containing n molecules of gas. The simulated isotherms representing the pressure dependence of the concentration exhibit the same pattern as those experimentally obtained.