Regular inference is a research direction in machine learning. The goal of regular inference is to construct a representation of a regular language in the form of deterministic finite automaton (DFA) based on the set of positive and negative examples. DFAs take strings of symbols (words) as input, and produce a binary classification as output, indicating whether the word belongs to the language or not. There are two types of learning algorithms for DFAs: passive and active learning algorithms. In passive learning, the set of positive and negative examples is given and not chosen by inference algorithm. In contrast, in active learning, the learning algorithm chooses examples from which a model is constructed. Active learning was introduced in 1987 by Dana Angluin. She presented the L* algorithm for learning DFAs by asking membership and equivalence queries to a teacher who knows the regular language accepted by DFA to be learned. A membership query checks whether a word belongs to the language or not. An equivalence query checks whether a hypothesized model is equivalent to the DFA to be learned.The L* algorithm has been found to be useful in different areas, including black box checking, compositional verification and integration testing. There are also other algorithms similar to L* for regular inference. However, the learning of timed systems has not been studied before. This thesis presents algorithms for learning timed systems in an active learning framework. As a model of timed system we choose event-recording automata (ERAs), a determinizable subclass of the widely used timed automata. The advantages of ERA in comparison with timed automata, is that it is known priori the set of clocks of an ERA and when clocks are reset. The contribution of this thesis is four algorithms for learning deterministic event-recording automaton (DERA). Two algorithms learn a subclass of DERA, called event-deterministic ERA (EDERA) and two algorithms learn general DERA. The problem with DERAs that they do not have canonical form. Therefore we focus on subclass of DERAs that have canonical representation, EDERA, and apply the L* algorithm to learn EDERAs. The L* algorithm in timed setting requires a procedure that learns clock guards of DERAs. This approach constructs EDERAs which are exponentially bigger than automaton to be learned. Another procedure can be used to lean smaller EDERAs, but it requires to solve NP-hard problem. We also use the L* algorithm to learn general DERA. One drawback of this approach that inferred DERAs have a form of region graph and there is blow-up in the number of transitions. Therefore we introduce an algorithm for learning DERA which uses a new data structure for organising results of queries, called a timed decision tree, and avoids region graph construction. Theoretically this algorithm can construct bigger DERA than the L* algorithm, but in the average case we expect better performance.

The defects and fault tolerance study is essential in the QCA devices in order to know its characteristics. Knowing the characteristics, one can understand the flow of information in a QCA system with and without manufacturing and operational defects. The manufacturing defects could be at device level or cell level. At the device level, the cell could be rotated, displaced vertically or horizontally, the cell could be missing or the size of the cell could be different. At the cell level, there could be a missing dot, dot could be displaced from its position or the size of the dots could be different. The operational defects are due to its surrounding, such as temperature or stray charge. Each of these defects and fault tolerances can be studies in detail in order to find the optimum working conditions where the information can be safely transmitted to the appropriate locations in the device.The theoretical studies have shown that at absolute temperature and without any defect, the QCA devices are operational. But it is almost impossible to manufacture a perfect or defect free device, and also it is impractical to think about operating a system at absolute zero temperature environment.Therefore, it is important to investigate the fault tolerant properties with defects and higher temperatures to see how far the QCA device can operate safely. Many studies have been done to investigate the fault tolerant properties in QCA devices. However, these studies have not completely exhausted the study of defects and temperature effects. In this study, the dot displacement and missing dots with temperature effects are investigated for the basic QCA devices and a Full Adder. In order to study fault tolerant properties, the existing theoretical model and computer simulation programs have been expanded and used. The defect characteristics have been simulated using normal distribution. / Department of Physics and Astronomy

We present a theoretical study of quasi-adiabatic clocking and thermal effect in Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA). Quasi-adiabatic clocking is the modulation of an inter-dot potential barrier in order to keep the QCA cells near the ground state throughout the switching process. A time-dependent electric field is calculated for arrays of charged rods. The electron tunneling between dots is controlled by raising and lowering a potential barrier in the cell.A quantum statistical model has been introduced to obtain the thermal average of polarization of a QCA cell. We have studied the thermal effect on QCA devices. The theoretical analysis has been approximated for a two-state model where the cells are in one of two possible eigenstates of the cell Hamiltonian. In general, the average polarization of each cell decreases with temperature and the distance from the driver cells. The results demonstrate the critical nature of temperature dependence for the operation of QCA. / Department of Physics and Astronomy

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This thesis investigates a resource driven probabilistic cellular automata (PCA) model of plant competition in terms of local interactions, spatial distributions, and invasion. The model also incorporates herbivores and carnivores and examines their effect on plant populations and community structure. Comparisons are drawn between the model, field studies and other mathematical models. Chapter 1 provides a background of relevant concepts from plants and animal ecology, details a number of mathematical models used in this field and describes the model relevant models and results in the literature. It concludes with a comparison of the features of the most germane models and field studies. Chapter 2 primarily focuses on plants, argues for the model we have chosen, recaptures previous results which are similar to some natural phenomena, and makes a preliminary investigation of community behaviour and disturbance. It then describes the effect of introducing biomass for plants on species behaviour, and their spatial distributions. Chapter 3 deals with competition between different species, and aspects of invasion. Coexistence between functionally different plants can occur, join count statistics and measures for patch location on the torus are developed and applied. Chapter 4 derives a generalised probabilistic model for ruderal monocultures, finds numerical solutions for these and investigates models for vegetatively growing species of plants. Chapter 5 examines the population effects of herbivory (i.e. importance of spatial correlation of disturbance) and analogies to competitor-stress tolerator-ruderal (CSR) primary plant types, as well as plant successional rates and factors affecting community composition. Equilibrium species composition corresponded to CSR theory when plant immigration was introduced. Chapter 6 investigates the basic effects of carnivory, and discusses parallels between probabilistic cellular automata and field studies.

Bibliographical references: p. 225-234. / xxiv, 285 p. : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 1998

This thesis investigates several different aspects of the physics of few state quantum systems and their use in information processing applications. The main focus is performing high precision computations or experiments using imperfect quantum systems. Specifically looking at methods to calibrate a quantum system once it has been manufactured or performing useful tasks, using a quantum system with only limited spatial or temporal coherence. / A novel method for characterising an unknown two-state Hamiltonian is presented which is based on the measurement of coherent oscillations. The method is subsequently extended to include the effects of decoherence and enable the estimation of uncertainties. Using the uncertainty estimates, the achievable precision for a given number of measurements is computed. This method is tested experimentally using the nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond as an example of a two-state quantum system of interest for quantum information processing. The method of characterisation is extended to higher dimensional systems and this is illustrated using the Heisenberg interaction between spins as an example. / The use of buried donors in silicon is investigated as an architecture for realising quantum-dot cellular automata as an example of quantum systems used for classical information processing. The interaction strengths and time scales are calculated and both coherent and incoherent evolution are assessed as possible switching mechanisms. The effects of decoherence on the operation of a single cell and the scaling behaviour of a line of cells is investigated. / The use of type-II quantum computers for simulating classical systems is studied as an application of small scale quantum computing. An algorithm is developed for simulating the classical Ising model using Metropolis Monte-Carlo where random number generation is incorporated using quantum superposition. This suggests that several new algorithms could be developed for a type-II quantum computer based on probabilistic cellular automata.

Thesis (M.Eng)--University of Wollongong, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 96-101.