15364808
The relative worst order ratio applied to paging
The relative worst order ratio, a new measure for the quality of on-line algorithms, was recently defined and applied to two bin packing problems. Here, we apply it to the paging problem and obtain the following results: We devise a new deterministic paging algorithm, Retrospective-LRU, and show that it performs better than LRU. This is supported by experimental results, but contrasts with the competitive ratio. All deterministic marking algorithms have the same competitive ratio, but here we find that LRU is better than FWF. According to the relative worst order ratio, no deterministic marking algorithm can be significantly better than LRU, but the randomized algorithm MARK is better than LRU. Finally, look-ahead is shown to be a significant advantage, in contrast to the competitive ratio, which does not reflect that look-ahead can be helpful.
34233329
Search Trees with Relaxed Balance and Near-Optimal Height
We introduce the relaxed k-tree, a search tree with relaxed balance and a height bound, when in balance, of (1 + Ɛ) log2 n + 1, for any Ɛ > 0. The rebalancing work is amortized O(1/Ɛ) per update. This is the first binary search tree with relaxed balance having a height bound better than c ċ log2 n for a fixed constant c. In all previous proposals, the constant is at least 1/ log2 Φ > 1.44, where Φ is the golden ratio. 
 
As a consequence, we can also define a standard (non-relaxed) k-tree with amortized constant rebalancing per update, which is an improvement over the original definition. 
 
Search engines based on main-memory databases with strongly fluctuating workloads are possible applications for this line of work.
80794
Efficient Rebalancing of Chromatic Search Trees
Chromatic trees were defined by Nurmi and Soisalon-Soininen, as a new type of binary search tree for databases. The aim is to improve runtime performance by allowing a greater degree of concurrency, which, in turn, is obtained by uncoupling updating from rebalancing. This also allows rebalancing to be postponed completely or partially until after peak working hours. The advantages of the proposal of Nurmi and Soisalon-Soininen are quite significant, but there are definite problems with it. First, they give no explicit upper bound on the complexity of their algorithm. Second, some of their rebalancing operations can be applied many more times than necessary. Third, some of their operations, when removing one problem, create another. We define a new set of rebalancing operations which we prove give rise to at most @?log"2(N+1)@?-1 rebalancing operations per insertion and at most @?log"2(N+1)@?-2 rebalancing operations per deletion, where N is the maximum size the tree could ever have, given its initial size and the number of insertions performed. Most of these rebalancing operations, in fact, do no restructuring; they simply move weights around. The number of operations which actually change the structure of the tree is at most one per update.
28707658
Bounds on Certain Multiplications of Affine Combinations
Let A and B be n × n matrices the entries of which are affine combinations of the variables a1,…,am, b1,…,bm over GF(2). Suppose that, for each i, 1 ⩽ i ⩽ m, the term aibi is an element of the product matrix C = A · B. What is the maximum value that m can have as a function of n? This question arises from a recent technique for improving the communication complexity of zero-knowledge proofs. 
 
The obvious upper bound of n2 is improved to n233+ O(n). Tighter bounds are obtained for smaller values of n. The bounds for n = 2, n = 3, and n = 4 are tight.
19914316
Extending the Accommodating Function
The applicability of the accommodating function, a relatively new measure for the quality of on-line algorithms, is extended. If a limited amount n of some resource is available, the accommodating function A(?) is the competitive ratio when input sequences are restricted to those for which the amount ?n of resources suffices for an optimal off-line algorithm. The accommodating function was originally used only for ? ? 1. We focus on ? < 1, observe that the function now appears interesting for a greater variety of problems, and use it to make new distinctions between known algorithms and to find new ones.
6986183
Efficient Simplification of Bisimulation Formulas
The problem of checking or optimally simplifying bisimulation formulas is likely to be computationally very hard. We take a different view at the problem: we set out to define a very fast algorithm, and then see what we can obtain. Sometimes our algorithm can simplify a formula perfectly, sometimes it cannot. However, the algorithm is extremely fast and can, therefore, be added to formula-based bisimulation model checkers at practically no cost. When the formula can be simplified by our algorithm, this can have a dramatic positive effect on the better, but also more time consuming, theorem provers which will finish the job.
34236220
To Store or Not to Store
To limit the explosion problem encountered during reachability analysis we suggest a variety of techniques for reducing the number of states to be stored during exploration, while maintaining the guarantee of termination and keeping the number of revisits small. The techniques include static analysis methods for component automata in order to determine small sets of covering transitions. We carry out extensive experimental investigation of the techniques within the real-time verification tool Uppaal. Our experimental results are extremely encouraging: a best combination is identified which for a variety of industrial case-studies reduces the space-consumption to less than 10% with only a moderate overhead in time-performance.
5725449
Verification of an Audio Protocol with Bus Collision Using UPPAAL
In this paper we apply the tool Uppaal1 to an automatic analysis of a version of the Philips Audio Control Protocol with two senders and bus collision handling. This case study is significantly larger than the real-time/hybrid systems previously analysed by automatic tools. During the case study the tool Uppaal was extended with a new feature, committed locations, allowing efficient modelling of broadcast communication.
30176003
Lower and Upper Bounds in Zone Based Abstractions of Timed Automata
Timed automata have an infinite semantics. For verification purposes, one usually uses zone based abstractions w.r.t. the maximal constants to which clocks of the timed automaton are compared. We show that by distinguishing maximal lower and upper bounds, significantly coarser abstractions can be obtained. We show soundness and completeness of the new abstractions w.r.t. reachability. We demonstrate how information about lower and upper bounds can be used to optimise the algorithm for bringing a difference bound matrix into normal form. Finally, we experimentally demonstrate that the new techniques dramatically increases the scalability of the real-time model checker Uppaal.
9169243
Verification of Large State/Event Systems Using Compositionality and Dependency Analysis
A state/event model is a concurrent version of Mealy machines used for describing embedded reactive systems. This paper introduces a technique that uses compositionality and dependency analysis to significantly improve the efficiency of symbolic model checking of state/event models. It makes possible automated verification of large industrial designs with the use of only modest resources (less than 5 minutes on a standard PC for a model with 1421 concurrent machines). The results of the paper are being implemented in the next version of the commercial tool visualSTATETM.
406624
Model Checking Timed Automata with Priorities Using DBM Subtraction
In this paper we describe an extension of timed automata with priorities, and efficient algorithms to compute subtraction on DBMs (difference bounded matrices), needed in symbolic model-checking of timed automata with priorities. The subtraction is one of the few operations on DBMs that result in a non-convex set needing sets of DBMs for representation. Our subtraction algorithms are efficient in the sense that the number of generated DBMs is significantly reduced compared to a naive algorithm. The overhead in time is compensated by the gain from reducing the number of resulting DBMs since this number affects the performance of symbolic model-checking. The uses of the DBM subtraction operation extend beyond timed automata with priorities. It is also useful for allowing guards on transitions with urgent actions, deadlock checking, and timed games.