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We study the leading order asymptotics of a Random Matrix theory partition function related to colored triangulations. This partition function comes from a three Hermitian matrix model that has been introduced in the physics literature. We provide a detailed and precise description of the combinatorial objects that the partition function counts that has not appeared previously in the literature. We also provide a general framework for studying the leading order asymptotics of an N dimensional integral that one encounters studying the partition function of colored triangulations. The results are obtained by generalizing well know results for integrals coming from Hermitian matrix models with only one matrix that give the leading order asymptiotics in terms of a finite dimensional variational problem. We apply these results to the partition function for colored triangulations to show that the minimizing density of the variational problem is unique, and agrees with the one proposed in the physics literature. This provides the first complete mathematically rigorous description of the leading order asymptotics of this matrix model for colored triangulations.

Information stored by managed organizations in free text documents, databases, and engineered knowledge repositories can often be processed as networks of conceptual nodes and relational links (concept graphs). However, these models tend to be informal as related to new or multi-source tasks. This work contributes to the understanding of techniques for matching knowledge elements: in informal node-link knowledge representations, drawn from existing data resources, to support user-guided analysis. Its guiding focus is the creation of tools that compare, retrieve, and merge existing information resources.Three essays explore important algorithmic and heuristic elements needed to leverage concept graphs in real-world applications. Section 2 documents an algorithm which identifies likely matches between student and instructor concept maps aiming to support semi-automatic matching and scoring for both classroom and unsupervised environments. The knowledge-anchoring, similarity flooding algorithm significantly improves on term-based matching by leveraging map structure and also has potential as a methodology for combining other informal, human-created knowledge representations. Section 3 describes a decompositional tagging approach to organizing (aggregating) automatically extracted biomedical pathway relations. We propose a five-level aggregation strategy for extracted relations and measure the effectiveness of the BioAggregate tagger in preparing extracted information for analysis and visualization. Section 4 evaluates an importance flooding algorithm designed to assist law enforcement investigators in identifying useful investigational leads. While association networks have a long history as an investigational tool, more systematic processes are needed to guide development of high volume cross-jurisdictional data sharing initiatives. We test path-based selection heuristics and importance flooding to improve on traditional association-closeness methodologies.Together, these essays demonstrate how structural and semantic information can be processed in parallel to effectively leverage ambiguous network representations of data. Also, they show that real applications can be addressed by processing available data using an informal concept graph paradigm. This approach and these techniques are potentially useful for workflow systems, business intelligence analysis, and other knowledge management applications where information can be represented in an informal conceptual network and that information needs to be analyzed and converted into actionable, communicable human knowledge.

Maps are the integral tool of geography. The importance of maps to geographic literacy is reflected in the National Geography Standards (Geography Education Implementation Project 1994): the first essential element, the World in Spatial Terms, details the significance of map comprehension to spatial thinking. Despite that centrality, there is little research which tells us how maps are used in the classroom. This study considers Texas teachers' instructional practices with regards to maps. The following questions are addressed: (1) what are teachers' beliefs and knowledge about maps; (2) what are teachers' practices regarding their use; and, (3) to what extent do teachers understand the curricular requirements related to maps? The study was conducted in two phases. During Phase I, a survey was completed by eighty-eight teacher-members of the Texas Alliance for Geographic Education. In Phase II, eleven teachers were selected from the pool of survey respondents for interviews and classroom observations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative techniques. Analysis included evaluation of teachers' practices along a map skills continuum, which was adapted from National Assessment of Educational Progress' (NAEP) standards in geography, the National Geography Standards, and the state curriculum, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The continuum evaluated teachers by grade (elementary, middle, or high school) and proficiency (basic, proficient, or advanced). Teachers in Phase II were representative of the grade and proficiency levels of the survey respondents. Results indicate that map instruction focuses on learning cartographic terminology, performing basic map tasks, and identifying locations. The more advanced tasks illustrated in the continuum are largely absent. The teachers in this study generally had a limited conceptualization of maps and their uses; that limited conceptualization constrained their practices and their understanding of the curricular requirements regarding map skills. Consequently, map instruction does not occur in the rich way conceptualized by the Standards, NAEP, or the TEKS. The implication is that teachers' conceptualization of maps must be improved. This goal could be accomplished by providing teachers with professional development experiences and curricular tools that will enhance their understanding of maps and their many uses.

Mobile devices, such as smartphones and other personal devices, are increasingly used to view maps and other large datasets. Their necessarily small displays can only show a small portion of the data at one time. Researchers have developed various visual techniques that overlay icons or shapes onto the edge of the display to provide the user with hints regarding the existence and location of undisplayed points of interest. However, current techniques fail in practice on mobile devices because they are confusing, do not scale or take up too much valuable screen space. In this thesis, I describe a new technique to visualize the location of off-screen points of interest. This technique, called Wedge, addresses specific shortcomings of existing techniques. This thesis details the design and implementation of Wedge and summarizes the results of a thorough experimental evaluation. Furthermore, I present a preliminary model of user performance that I use to highlight design suggestions for practitioners using Wedge.

Just as coarse static on a radio station interferes with a listener's ability to discern the music being played, so do coarse visual background patterns interfere with a map reader's ability to read words on a map. This problem is especially prevalent when small budgets limit the cartographer to the use of commercially available, pre-printed areal patterns for black and white reproduction. This study investigates the effects of dot arrangement and dot density of two purchased, areal dot patterns, type size, type orientation, and letter case on word reading accuracy when words and dot patterns are viewed simultaneously. The emphasis of the study was on dot arrangement, comparing the readability of words presented with a controlled "geometric" dot arrangement and then with an experimental "scallop" dot arrangement. The remaining variables, included to simulate an actual map situation, were also analyzed. The primary null hypothesis, that dot arrangement does not make a significant differance in word reading accuracy regardless of dot density, type size, type orientation, and letter case, was rejected on the basis of the analysis results.

IP-adresserna under IPv4 är inte tillräckliga och har på många delar i världen redan tagit slut. IPv6 erbjuder många fler tillgängliga adresser och övergången till protokollet har redan börjat. Det Gävlebaserade företaget Interlan erbjuder en tjänst som kontrollerar om kommuner och myndigheter i de nordiska länderna är nåbara via IPv6 samt om de är säkrade med DNSSEC. Denna rapport beskriver jobbet med att förbättra och göra deras tjänst anpassningsbar för flera länder. Processen som beskrivs är parametriseringen av skripten som samlar data, skapandet av en databas att lagra data i, och ändringar till hur data presenteras så att det går att lägga till flera länder.

Mobile devices, such as smartphones and other personal devices, are increasingly used to view maps and other large datasets. Their necessarily small displays can only show a small portion of the data at one time. Researchers have developed various visual techniques that overlay icons or shapes onto the edge of the display to provide the user with hints regarding the existence and location of undisplayed points of interest. However, current techniques fail in practice on mobile devices because they are confusing, do not scale or take up too much valuable screen space. In this thesis, I describe a new technique to visualize the location of off-screen points of interest. This technique, called Wedge, addresses specific shortcomings of existing techniques. This thesis details the design and implementation of Wedge and summarizes the results of a thorough experimental evaluation. Furthermore, I present a preliminary model of user performance that I use to highlight design suggestions for practitioners using Wedge.

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