Programming and Computer Software 

About: Programming and Computer Software is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Computer science & Symbolic computation. It has an ISSN identifier of 0361-7688. Over the lifetime, 1055 publications have been published receiving 5642 citations.

Foiling the cracker: A survey of, and improvements to, password security

Abstract: With the rapid burgeoning of national and international networks, the question of system security has become one of growing importance. High speed inter-machine communication and even higher speed computational processors have made the threats of system {open_quotes}crackers,{close_quotes} data theft, and data corruption very real. This paper outlines some of the problems of current password security by demonstrating the ease by which individual accounts may be broken. Various techniques used by crackers are outlined, and finally one solution to this point of system vulnerability, a proactive password checker, is proposed. 11 refs., 2 tabs.

Outlier Detection Algorithms in Data Mining Systems

Abstract: The paper discusses outlier detection algorithms used in data mining systems. Basic approaches currently used for solving this problem are considered, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. A new outlier detection algorithm is suggested. It is based on methods of fuzzy set theory and the use of kernel functions and possesses a number of advantages compared to the existing methods. The performance of the algorithm suggested is studied by the example of the applied problem of anomaly detection arising in computer protection systems, the so-called intrusion detection systems.

Ant Algorithms: Theory and Applications

Abstract: This paper reviews the theory and applications of ant algorithms, new methods of discrete optimization based on the simulation of self-organized colony of biologic ants. The colony can be regarded as a multi-agent system where each agent is functioning independently by simple rules. Unlike the nearly primitive behavior of the agents, the behavior of the whole system happens to be amazingly reasonable. The ant algorithms have been extensively studied by European researchers from the mid-1990s. These algorithms have successfully been applied to solving many complex combinatorial optimization problems, such as the traveling salesman problem, the vehicle routing problem, the problem of graph coloring, the quadratic assignment problem, the problem of network-traffic optimization, the job-shop scheduling problem, etc. The ant algorithms are especially efficient for online optimization of processes in distributed nonstationary systems (for example, telecommunication network routing).

Time synchronization methods for wireless sensor networks: A survey

Abstract: Wireless sensor networks consist of many nodes that collect real-world data, process them, and transmit the data by radio. Wireless sensor networks represent a new, rapidly developing direction in the field of organization of computer networks of free configuration. Sensor networks are used for monitoring a parameter field, where it is often required to fix time of an event with high accuracy. High accuracy of local clocks is also necessary for operation of network protocols (for energy-saving purposes, the nodes spend most of the time in the sleeping mode and communicate only occasionally). In the paper, base techniques used in the existing time synchronization schemes are analyzed; models of local clock behavior and models of interaction of the network devices are described; classification of the synchronization problems is presented; and a survey of the existing approaches to synchronization of time in sensor networks is given.

Programming for modular reconfigurable robots

Abstract: Composed of multiple modular robotic units, self-reconfigurable modular robots are metamorphic systems that can autonomously rearrange the modules and form different configurations depending on dynamic environments and tasks. The goal of self-reconfiguration is to determine how to change connectivity of modules to transform the robot from the current configuration to the goal configuration subject to restrictions of physical implementation. The existing reconfiguration algorithms use different methods, such as divide-and-conquer, graph matching, and the like, to reduce the reconfiguration cost. However, an optimal solution with a minimal number of reconfiguration steps has not been found yet. The optimal reconfiguration planning problem consists in finding the least number of reconfiguration steps transforming the robot from one configuration to another. This is an NP-complete problem. In this paper, we describe an approach to solve this problem. The approach is based on constructing logical models of the problem under study.