simulation@uflorida.cis.ufl.edu (Moderator: Paul Fishwick) (10/14/88)
Volume: 5, Issue: 9, Fri Oct 14 11:53:14 EDT 1988 +----------------+ | TODAY'S TOPICS | +----------------+ (1) Simulation in Computer Networks (2) Congress on Cybernetics and Systems (3) MIRRORS/II Connectionist Simulator Available (4) ACM Journal in Simulation * Moderator: Paul Fishwick, Univ. of Florida * Send topical mail to: simulation@uflorida.cis.ufl.edu * Archives available via FTP to bikini.cis.ufl.edu, login as 'anonymous', use your last name as the password, change directory to pub/simdigest. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: simulation@bikini.cis.ufl.edu Subject: simulation in computer networks Date: Sat, 08 Oct 88 13:08:11 +0100 From: Zheng Wang (Ext: 3701) <zwang@Cs.Ucl.AC.UK> Dear All; I am a PhD candidate, working on fault tolerance in networks. Generally I am interested in simulation of network behavior in the presence of node or link failures. In particular, I want to carry out simulation of a large network with a set of particular routing and congestion control algorithms for 1) the time for the routing algorithm to find a alternative path in the face of failures. 2) the degradation of performance of neighbour nodes because of the failures. (throughput, delay, packet drop rate etc) I would be very grateful if you can give me suggestions and advice on references and simulation systems. Zheng ------------------------------------------------- Zheng Wang Dept of Computer Science University College London London WC1 6BT E-mail: zwang@uk.ac.ucl.cs ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Oct 88 21:00:03 EDT From: Paul Fishwick <fishwick@fish.cis.ufl.edu> To: simulation@ufl.edu >From uflorida!gatech!psuvax1!psuvm.bitnet!cunyvm.bitnet!spnhc Sun Oct 9 20:38:31 EDT 1988 Article 125 of comp.theory.dynamic-sys: Path: uflorida!gatech!psuvax1!psuvm.bitnet!cunyvm.bitnet!spnhc >From: SPNHC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Spyros Antoniou) Newsgroups: comp.theory.dynamic-sys,sci.psychology Subject: Congress on Cybernetics and Systems Date: 8 Oct 88 03:36:04 GMT Organization: The City University of New York - New York, NY Xref: uflorida comp.theory.dynamic-sys:125 sci.psychology:924 DISCLAIMER: Author bears full responsibility for contents of this article WORLD ORGANIZATION OF SYSTEMS AND CYBERNETICS 8 T H I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N G R E S S O F C Y B E R N E T I C S A N D S Y S T E M S JUNE 11-15, 1990 at Hunter College, City University of New York, USA This triennial conference is supported by many international groups concerned with management, the sciences, computers, and technology systems. The 1990 Congress is the eighth in a series, previous events having been held in London (1969), Oxford (1972), Bucharest (1975), Amsterdam (1978), Mexico City (1981), Paris (1984) and London (1987). The Congress will provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of current research. Several specialized sections will focus on computer science, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, biocybernetics, psychocybernetics and sociocybernetics. Suggestions for other relevant topics are welcome. Participants who wish to organize a symposium or a section, are requested to submit a proposal ( sponsor, subject, potential participants, very short abstracts ) as soon as possible, but not later than September 1989. All submissions and correspondence regarding this conference should be addressd to: Prof. Constantin V. Negoita Congress Chairman Department of Computer Science Hunter College City University of New York 695 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10021 U.S.A. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | Spyros D. Antoniou SPNHC@CUNYVM.BITNET SDAHC@HUNTER.BITNET | | | | Hunter College of the City University of New York U.S.A. | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Oct 88 10:33:18 EDT From: James A. Reggia <reggia@mimsy.umd.edu> To: simulation@uflorida.cis.ufl.edu Subject: MIRRORS/II Connectionist Simulator Available MIRRORS/II Connectionist Simulator Available MIRRORS/II is a general-purpose connectionist simulator which can be used to implement a broad spectrum of connec- tionist (neural network) models. MIRRORS/II is dis- tinguished by its support of an extensible high-level non- procedural language, an indexed library of networks, spread- ing activation methods, learning methods, event parsers and handlers, and a generalized event-handling mechanism. The MIRRORS/II language allows relatively inexperienced computer users to express the structure of a network that they would like to study and the parameters which will con- trol their particular connectionist model simulation. Users can select an existing spreading activation/learning method and other system components from the library to complete their connectionist model; no programming is required. On the other hand, more advanced users with programming skills who are interested in research involving new methods for spreading activation or learning can still derive major benefits from using MIRRORS/II. The advanced user need only write functions for the desired procedural components (e.g., spreading activation method, control strategy, etc.). Based on language primitives specified by the user MIRRORS/II will incorporate the user-written components into the connection- ist model; no changes to the MIRRORS/II system itself are required. Connectionist models developed using MIRRORS/II are not limited to a particular processing paradigm. Spreading activation methods, and Hebbian learning, competitive learn- ing, and error back-propagation are among the resources found in the MIRRORS/II library. MIRRORS/II provides both synchronous and asynchronous control strategies that deter- mine which nodes should have their activation values updated during an iteration. Users can also provide their own con- trol strategies and have control over a simulation through the generalized event handling mechanism. Simulations produced by MIRRORS/II have an event- handling mechanism which provides a general framework for scheduling certain actions to occur during a simulation. MIRRORS/II supports system-defined events (constant/cyclic input, constant/cyclic output, clamp, learn, display and show) and user-defined events. An event command (e.g., the input-command) indicates which event is to occur, when it is to occur, and which part of the network it is to affect. Simultaneously occurring events are prioritized according to user specification. At run time, the appropriate event handler performs the desired action for the currently- occurring event. User-defined events can redefine the work- ings of system-defined events or can create new events needed for a particular application. MIRRORS/II is implemented in Franz Lisp and will run under Opuses 38, 42, and 43 of Franz Lisp on UNIX systems. It is currently running on a MicroVAX, VAX and SUN 3. If you are interested in obtaining more detailed information about the MIRRORS/II system see D'Autrechy, C. L. et al., 1988, "A General-Purpose Simulation Environment for Develop- ing Connectionist Models," Simulation, 51, 5-19. The MIRRORS/II software and reference manual are available for no charge via tape or ftp. If you are interested in obtain- ing a copy of the software send your U.S. Mail address via e-mail to mirrors@mimsy.umd.edu or ...!uunet!mimsy!mirrors or send your U.S. Mail address to Lynne D'Autrechy University of Maryland Department of Computer Science College Park, MD 20742 and we will send you back a license which you must sign and return to us and further instructions on how to obtain the MIRRORS/II software and manual. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Oct 88 11:47:56 EDT From: Paul Fishwick <fishwick@fish.cis.ufl.edu> To: simulation@ufl.edu Subject: ACM Journal in Simulation Would you like to see an "ACM Transactions on Simulation"? I am passing along information that was published in the ACM SIGSIM SIMULETTER, Volume 19, Number 1, March 1988 (pages 21-22): __________________________________________________________________________ Arguments for an ACM Transactions on Simulation (note also that this transactions could be a combined ACM/IEEE-CS publication): (1) A subfield as important as computer simulation should be represented by an ACM publication. (2) While many publications include simulation as an area, no publication is primarily devoted to discrete event simulation and one is needed. (Publications of the Society for Computer Simulation have historically been associated with continuous simulation) (3) Certain subordinate simulation topics, such as model representation, model diagnosis, and simulation support environments, represent strong mutual overlap with areas of computer science such as software engineering, computer-assisted design and artificial intelligence. Other publications are less likely to accept papers in these areas, and no mutual benefit is likely to occur for these other areas of computer science. Arguments against an ACM Transactions on Simulation: (1) The number of existing publication outlets is quite sufficient, including (to name but a few): Simulation, Transactions of the Society for Computer Simulation, Operations Research, ORSA Journal on Computing Management Science, Journal of Statistical Computation and Simulation, IIE Transactions, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, and the ACM publications that would deal with simulation applications in their subject areas. (2) Some argue that the number of "high quality" submissions in simulation does not justify an increase in the number of periodicals in this area. (3) With a single journal devoted to discrete event simulation, the interest in others may not be as high and they will get a "second class" reputation. (4) A sufficient number of capable people are unavailable to perform editorial duties. If you favor the idea, what are your thoughts on the questions below?: (1) Which types of simulation should be included: (a) discrete event, (b) continuous, (c) Monte Carlo, (d) combined, (e) other? (2) Should the scope of the interest include: (a) tuturials, (b) reviews, (c) algorithms, (d) applications, (e) research, (f) applications only in areas not covered by other ACM publications, (g) other? (3) Should the domain of interest (and the title) be expanded to include other related topics, such as (a) man-machine or human-in-the-loop simulators, (b) gaming, (c) cognitive process simulation, (d) modeling, (e) modeling, (f) others? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A SIGSIM committee composed of Prof. Richard. E. Nance, Prof. Jerzy Rozenblit, and Prof. Rob G. Sargent was formed to study the concept of an "ACM Transactions on Simulation". I encourage any all of you to respond directly to Prof. Nance to give him your honest thoughts on this matter. His electronic address is: nance@vtcs1.bitnet If you consider your thoughts public, please also send them to this digest so that an interactive discussion can take place. -paul ------------------------------ +--------------------------+ | END OF SIMULATION DIGEST | +--------------------------+