Considering strings over a finite alphabet [Ascr], say that a string is w-avoiding if it does not contain w as a substring. It is known that the number aw(n) of w-avoiding strings of length n depends only on the autocorrelation of w as defined by Guibas–Odlyzko. We give a simple criterion on the autocorrelations of w and w′ for determining whether aw(n) > aw′(n) for all large enough n.

In spite of its simpler structure than that of the Euler-Lagrange equations-based model, the Hamiltonian formulation of Classical Mechanics (CM) gained only limited application in the Computed Torque Control (CTC) of the rather conventional robots. A possible reason for this situation may be, that while the independent variables of the Lagrangian model are directly measurable by common industrial sensors and encoders, the Hamiltonian canonical coordinates are not measurable and can also not be computed in the lack of detailed information on the dynamics of the system under control. As a consequence, transparent and lucid mathematical methods bound to the Hamiltonian model utilizing the special properties of such concepts as Canonical Transformations, Symplectic Geometry, Symplectic Group, Symplectizing Algorithm, etc. remain out of the reach of Dynamic Control approaches based on the Lagrangian model. In this paper the preliminary results of certain recent investigations aiming at the introduction of these methods in dynamic control are summarized and illustrated by simulation results. The proposed application of the Hamiltonian model makes it possible to achieve a rigorous deductive analytical treatment up to a well defined point exactly valid for a quite wide range of many different mechanical systems. From this point on it reveals such an ample assortment of possible non-deductive, intuitive developments and approaches even within the investigations aiming at a particular paradigm that publication of these very preliminary and early results seems to have definite reason, too.

The prime factorization of a random integer has a GEM/Poisson-Dirichlet distribution as transparently proved by Donnelly and Grimmett [8]. By similarity to the arc-sine law for the mean distribution of the divisors of a random integer, due to Deshouillers, Dress and Tenenbaum [6] (see also Tenenbaum [24, II.6.2, p. 233]), – the ‘DDT theorem’ – we obtain an arc-sine law in the GEM/Poisson-Dirichlet context. In this context we also investigate the distribution of the number of components larger than ε which correspond to the number of prime factors larger than nε.

NATURAL EXPERT is a product that allows users to build knowledge-based systems. It uses a lazy functional language, NATURAL EXPERT LANGUAGE, to implement backward chaining and provide a reliable knowledge processing environment in which development can take place. Customers from all over the world buy the system and have used it to handle a variety of problems, including applications such as airplane servicing and bank loan assessment. Some of these are used 10,000 times or more per month.

On September 2 1996, Professor Edmond Nicolau, an eminent cybernetician and great intellect, died aged 74. This was, indeed, a great loss to the world of science. I have also lost a devoted friend and active collaborator in the fields of cybernetics and systems, as well as a valuable member of the Editorial Board of Robotica.

We are interested in a function f(p) that represents the probability that a random subset of edges of a Δ-regular graph G contains half the edges of some cycle of G. f(p) is also the probability that a codeword is corrupted beyond recognition when words of the cycle code of G are submitted to the binary symmetric channel. We derive a precise upper bound on the largest p for which f(p) can vanish when the number of edges of G goes to infinity. To this end, we introduce the notion of fractional percolation on trees, and calculate the related critical probabilities.

A laser range finder mounted on a site and azimuth turret is used as a 3D range camera. It forms, associated with a video camera, an original stereovision system. The internal structure of both images are the same but the resolution of 3D image stays low. By ignoring the acquiring speed of measures, spatial resolution is limited by the accuracy of deviation device and the laser footprint. The fact that the impact of the beam is not a point introduces spatial integration.

To correct the average at depth discontinuities due to the beam footprint, a neural-network-based solution is reported.

The use of such a multisensor system requires its calibration. As camera calibration is a well-known problem, the paper focuses on models and calibration methods of the range finder. Experimental results illustrate the quality of the calibration step in terms of accuracy and stability.

The footprint correction is evaluated for both 1D and 2D range finder scannings.

Section B of the special issue contains four papers dealing with diverse topics, viz. rehabilitation robotics applications, a software package for an automatic symbolic modelling of robots, the use of symplectic geometry, and the treatment of the Distributed Manipulation Environment method. This completes the wide review of various techniques and theoretical approaches aiming at solving the difficult problems of conventional robotics in the real world.

Let [Mscr]n,k(S) be the set of n-edge k-vertex rooted maps in some class on the surface S. Let P be a planar map in the class. We develop a method for showing that almost all maps in [Mscr]n,k(S) contain many copies of P. One consequence of this is that almost all maps in [Mscr]n,k(S) have no symmetries. The classes considered include c-connected maps (c [les ] 3) and certain families of degree restricted maps.

A tournament T on a set V of n players is an orientation of the edges of the complete graph Kn on V; T will be called a random tournament if the directions of these edges are determined by a sequence {Yj[ratio ]j = 1, …, (n2)} of independent coin flips. If (y, x) is an edge in a (random) tournament, we say that y beats x. A set A ⊂ V, |A| = k, is said to be beaten if there exists a player y ∉ A such that y beats x for each x ∈ A. If such a y does not exist, we say that A is unbeaten. A (random) tournament on V is said to have property Sk if each k-element subset of V is beaten. In this paper, we use the Stein–Chen method to show that the probability distribution of the number W0 of unbeaten k-subsets of V can be well-approximated by that of a Poisson random variable with the same mean; an improved condition for the existence of tournaments with property Sk is derived as a corollary. A multivariate version of this result is proved next: with Wj representing the number of k-subsets that are beaten by precisely j external vertices, j = 0, 1, …, b, it is shown that the joint distribution of (W0, W1, …, Wb) can be approximated by a multidimensional Poisson vector with independent components, provided that b is not too large.

Assemblies are labelled combinatorial objects that can be decomposed into components. Examples of assemblies include set partitions, permutations and random mappings. In addition, a distribution from population genetics called the Ewens sampling formula may be treated as an assembly. Each assembly has a size n, and the sum of the sizes of the components sums to n. When the uniform distribution is put on all assemblies of size n, the process of component counts is equal in distribution to a process of independent Poisson variables Zi conditioned on the event that a weighted sum of the independent variables is equal to n. Logarithmic assemblies are assemblies characterized by some θ > 0 for which i[]Zi → θ. Permutations and random mappings are logarithmic assemblies; set partitions are not a logarithmic assembly. Suppose b = b(n) is a sequence of positive integers for which b/n → β ε (0, 1]. For logarithmic assemblies, the total variation distance db(n) between the laws of the first b coordinates of the component counting process and of the first b coordinates of the independent processes converges to a constant H(β). An explicit formula for H(β) is given for β ε (0, 1] in terms of a limit process which depends only on the parameter θ. Also, it is shown that db(n) → 0 if and only if b/n → 0, generalizing results of Arratia, Barbour and Tavaré for the Ewens sampling formula. Local limit theorems for weighted sums of the Zi are used to prove these results.

We present narrowing calculi that are computation models of functional-logic programming languages. The narrowing calculi are based on the notion of the leftmost outside-in reduction of Huet and Lévy. We note the correspondence between the narrowing and reduction derivations, and define the leftmost outside-in narrowing derivation. We then give a narrowing calculus OINC that generates the leftmost outside-in narrowing derivations. It consists of several inference rules that perform the leftmost outside-in narrowing. We prove the completeness of OINC using an ordering defined over a narrowing derivation space. To use the calculus OINC as a model of computation of functional-logic programming, we extend OINC to incorporate strict equality. The extension results in a new narrowing calculus, s-OINC. We show also that s-OINC enjoys the same completeness property as OINC.

This paper describes EQUALS, a fast parallel implementation of a lazy functional language on a commercially available shared-memory parallel machine, the Sequent Symmetry. In contrast to previous implementations, we propagate normal form demand at compile time as well as run time, and detect parallelism automatically using strictness analysis. The EQUALS implementation indicates the effectiveness of NF-demand propagation in identifying significant parallelism and in achieving good sequential as well as parallel performance. Another important difference between EQUALS and previous implementations is the use of reference counting for memory management, instead of mark-and-sweep or copying garbage collection. Implementation results show that reference counting leads to very good scalability and low memory requirements, and offers sequential performance comparable to generational garbage collectors. We compare the performance of EQUALS with that of other parallel implementations (the 〈v, G〉-machine and GAML) as well as with the performance of SML/NJ, a sequential implementation of a strict language.

A model for a random random-walk on a finite group is developed where the group elements that generate the random-walk are chosen uniformly and with replacement from the group. When the group is the d-cube Zd2, it is shown that if the generating set is size k then as d → ∞ with k − d → ∞ almost all of the random-walks converge to uniform in k ln (k/(k − d))/4+ρk steps, where ρ is any constant satisfying ρ > −ln (ln 2)/4.

The Java phenomenon means that programmers that once laughed at garbage collection and strong typing have started to use it daily, and this opens up a wonderful opportunity for the functional programming community.

Bob Harper coined the acronym HOT to summarise much of what functional programmers have to offer the world: expertise in languages that are Higher-Order and Typed. Bob argued for a broad interpretation of these terms, so that Higher-Order includes languages where objects contain methods (even though functions are not first-class citizens), and Typed includes both static and dynamic typing. By these criteria Java is HOT, and so are Haskell, ML and Scheme.

Two more IFR member associations have established home pages on the World Wide Web. BRA (formerly the British Robot Association) can be found at http://www.bra-automation.co.uk, and the Danish Industrial Robot Association (DIRA) has its home page at http://inet.uni-c.dk/~i29876.