This thesis examines the evolution of Internet based knowledge networks (e-knowledge networks) in the domain of sustainable development. The objective of this thesis is to use an engineering systems approach to understand knowledge networks, identify the barriers to their sustainability…

Signature schemes are fundamental cryptographic primitives, useful as a stand-alone application, and as a building block in the design of secure protocols and other cryptographic objects. In this thesis, we study both the uses that signature schemes find in protocols,…

The state of business in the U.S. automobile industry is such that competition is fierce, and consumers have a perplexing number of alternatives from which to choose. The final purchase decision by the consumer is where most industry experts focus…

Intelligent autonomous agents working cooperatively accomplish tasks more efficiently than single agents, as well as tasks that were infeasible for the single agent. For example, a single agent transporting a ton of blocks will need to take multiple trips, possibly…

(cont.) to variations in the way functional elements interact with verbal roots. Overall, my work not only contributes to our understanding of how events are syntactically represented, but also explicates interactions at the syntax-semantics interface, clarifying the relationship between surface…

A knowledge of the shape of the cornea is of major importance for the planning and monitoring of surgery, and for the correct diagnosis of corneal diseases. Many authors have studied the geometry of the second corneal surface in the…

This article presents a procedure for constructing a taxonomy of COTS products in the field of Requirements Engineering (RE). The taxonomy and the obtained information reach transcendental benefits to the selection of systems and tools that aid to RE-related actors…

This paper presents a neuro-fuzzy network where all its parameters can be tuned simultaneously using Genetic Algorithms. The approach combines the merits of fuzzy logic theory, neural networks and genetic algorithms. The proposed neuro-fuzzy network does not require a priori…

Complex control tasks may be solved by dividing them into a more specific and more easily handled subtasks hierarchy. Several authors have demonstrated that the incremental layered evolution paradigm allows obtaining controllers capable of solving this type of tasks. In…

This work is focussed on the development and analysis of a new class of algorithms, called cellular memetic algorithms (cMAs), which will be evaluated here on the satisfiability problem (SAT). For describing a cMA, we study the effects of adding…