Dans cette thèse on considère deux modèles de calcul qui abordent des problèmes qui se posent lors du traitement des grosses données. Le premier modèle est le modèle de streaming. Lors du traitement des grosses données, un accès aux données de façon aléatoire est trop couteux. Les algorithmes de streaming ont un accès restreint aux données: ils lisent les données de façon séquentielle (par passage) une fois ou peu de fois. De plus, les algorithmes de streaming utilisent une mémoire d'accès aléatoire de taille sous-linéaire dans la taille des données. Le deuxième modèle est le modèle de communication. Lors du traitement des données par plusieurs entités de calcul situées à des endroits différents, l'échange des messages pour la synchronisation de leurs calculs est souvent un goulet d'étranglement. Il est donc préférable de minimiser la quantité de communication. Un modèle particulier est la communication à sens unique entre deux participants. Dans ce modèle, deux participants calculent un résultat en fonction des données qui sont partagées entre eux et la communication se réduit à un seul message. On étudie les problèmes suivants: 1) Les couplages dans le modèle de streaming. L'entrée du problème est un flux d'arêtes d'un graphe G=(V,E) avec n=|V|. On recherche un algorithme de streaming qui calcule un couplage de grande taille en utilisant une mémoire de taille O(n polylog n). L'algorithme glouton remplit ces contraintes et calcule un couplage de taille au moins 1/2 fois la taille d'un couplage maximum. Une question ouverte depuis longtemps demande si l'algorithme glouton est optimal si aucune hypothèse sur l'ordre des arêtes dans le flux est faite. Nous montrons qu'il y a un meilleur algorithme que l'algorithme glouton si les arêtes du graphe sont dans un ordre uniformément aléatoire. De plus, nous montrons qu'avec deux passages on peut calculer un couplage de taille strictement supérieur à 1/2 fois la taille d'un couplage maximum sans contraintes sur l'ordre des arêtes. 2) Les semi-couplages en streaming et en communication. Un semi-couplage dans un graphe biparti G=(A,B,E) est un sous-ensemble d'arêtes qui couple tous les sommets de type A exactement une fois aux sommets de type B de façon pas forcement injective. L'objectif est de minimiser le nombre de sommets de type A qui sont couplés aux même sommets de type B. Pour ce problème, nous montrons un algorithme qui, pour tout 0<=ε<=1, calcule une O(n^((1-ε)/2))-approximation en utilisant une mémoire de taille Ô(n^(1+ε)). De plus, nous montrons des bornes supérieures et des bornes inférieurs pour la complexité de communication entre deux participants pour ce problème et des nouveaux résultats concernant la structure des semi-couplages. 3) Validité des fichiers XML dans le modèle de streaming. Un fichier XML de taille n est une séquence de balises ouvrantes et fermantes. Une DTD est un ensemble de contraintes de validité locales d'un fichier XML. Nous étudions des algorithmes de streaming pour tester si un fichier XML satisfait les contraintes décrites dans une DTD. Notre résultat principal est un algorithme de streaming qui fait O(log n) passages, utilise 3 flux auxiliaires et une mémoire de taille O(log^2 n). De plus, pour le problème de validation des fichiers XML qui décrivent des arbres binaires, nous présentons des algorithmes en un passage et deux passages qui une mémoire de taille sous-linéaire. 4) Correction d'erreur pour la distance du cantonnier. Alice et Bob ont des ensembles de n points sur une grille en d dimensions. Alice envoit un échantillon de petite taille à Bob qui, après réception, déplace ses points pour que la distance du cantonnier entre les points d'Alice et les points de Bob diminue. Pour tout k>0 nous montrons qu'il y a un protocole presque optimal de communication avec coût de communication Ô(kd) tel que les déplacements des points effectués par Bob aboutissent à un facteur d'approximation de O(d) par rapport aux meilleurs déplacements de d points. / In this PhD thesis, we consider two computational models that address problems that arise when processing massive data sets. The first model is the Data Streaming Model. When processing massive data sets, random access to the input data is very costly. Therefore, streaming algorithms only have restricted access to the input data: They sequentially scan the input data once or only a few times. In addition, streaming algorithms use a random access memory of sublinear size in the length of the input. Sequential input access and sublinear memory are drastic limitations when designing algorithms. The major goal of this PhD thesis is to explore the limitations and the strengths of the streaming model. The second model is the Communication Model. When data is processed by multiple computational units at different locations, then the message exchange of the participating parties for synchronizing their calculations is often a bottleneck. The amount of communication should hence be as little as possible. A particular setting is the one-way two-party communication setting. Here, two parties collectively compute a function of the input data that is split among the two parties, and the whole message exchange reduces to a single message from one party to the other one. We study the following four problems in the context of streaming algorithms and one-way two-party communication: (1) Matchings in the Streaming Model. We are given a stream of edges of a graph G=(V,E) with n=|V|, and the goal is to design a streaming algorithm that computes a matching using a random access memory of size O(n polylog n). The Greedy matching algorithm fits into this setting and computes a matching of size at least 1/2 times the size of a maximum matching. A long standing open question is whether the Greedy algorithm is optimal if no assumption about the order of the input stream is made. We show that it is possible to improve on the Greedy algorithm if the input stream is in uniform random order. Furthermore, we show that with two passes an approximation ratio strictly larger than 1/2 can be obtained if no assumption on the order of the input stream is made. (2) Semi-matchings in Streaming and in Two-party Communication. A semi-matching in a bipartite graph G=(A,B,E) is a subset of edges that matches all A vertices exactly once to B vertices, not necessarily in an injective way. The goal is to minimize the maximal number of A vertices that are matched to the same B vertex. We show that for any 0<=ε<=1, there is a one-pass streaming algorithm that computes an O(n^((1-ε)/2))-approximation using Ô(n^(1+ε)) space. Furthermore, we provide upper and lower bounds on the two-party communication complexity of this problem, as well as new results on the structure of semi-matchings. (3) Validity of XML Documents in the Streaming Model. An XML document of length n is a sequence of opening and closing tags. A DTD is a set of local validity constraints of an XML document. We study streaming algorithms for checking whether an XML document fulfills the validity constraints of a given DTD. Our main result is an O(log n)-pass streaming algorithm with 3 auxiliary streams and O(log^2 n) space for this problem. Furthermore, we present one-pass and two-pass sublinear space streaming algorithms for checking validity of XML documents that encode binary trees. (4) Budget-Error-Correcting under Earth-Mover-Distance. We study the following one-way two-party communication problem. Alice and Bob have sets of n points on a d-dimensional grid [Δ]^d for an integer Δ. Alice sends a small sketch of her points to Bob and Bob adjusts his point set towards Alice's point set so that the Earth-Mover-Distance of Bob's points and Alice's points decreases. For any k>0, we show that there is an almost tight randomized protocol with communication cost Ô(kd) such that Bob's adjustments lead to an O(d)-approximation compared to the k best possible adjustments that Bob could make.

Construction machines, also referred to as engineering vehicles or earth movers, are used in a variety of tasks related to infrastructure development and material handling. While modern construction machines represent a high level of sophistication in several areas, their suspension systems are generally rudimentary or even nonexistent. This leads to unacceptably high vibration levels for the operator, particularly when considering front loaders and dump trucks, which regularly traverse longer distances at reasonably high velocities. To meet future demands on operator comfort and high speed capacity, more refined wheel suspensions will have to be developed. The aim of this thesis is therefore to investigate which factors need to be considered in the fundamental design of suspension systems for wheeled construction machines. The ride dynamics of wheeled construction machines are affected by a number of particular properties specific to this type of vehicle. The pitch inertia is typically high in relation to the mass and wheelbase, which leads to pronounced pitching. The axle loads differ considerably between the loaded and the unloaded condition, necessitating ride height control, and hence the suspension properties may be altered as the vehicle is loaded. Furthermore, the low vertical stiffness of off-road tyres means that changes in the tyre properties will have a large impact on the dynamics of the suspended mass. The impact of these factors has been investigated using analytical models and parameters for a typical wheel loader. Multibody dynamic simulations have also been used to study the effects of suspended axles on the vehicle ride vibrations in more detail. The simulation model has also been compared to measurements performed on a prototype wheel loader with suspended axles. For reasons of manoeuvrability and robustness, many construction machines use articulated frame steering. The dynamic behaviour of articulated vehicles has therefore been examined here, focusing on lateral instabilities in the form of “snaking” and “folding”. A multibody dynamics model has been used to investigate how suspended axles influence the snaking stability of an articulated wheel loader. A remote-controlled, articulated test vehicle in model-scale has also been developed to enable safe and inexpensive practical experiments. The test vehicle is used to study the influence of several vehicle parameters on snaking stability, including suspension, drive configuration and mass distribution. Comparisons are also made with predictions using a simplified linear model. Off-road tyres represent a further complication of construction machine dynamics, since the tyres’ behaviour is typically highly nonlinear and difficult to evaluate in testing due to the size of the tyres. A rolling test rig for large tyres has here been evaluated, showing that the test rig is capable of producing useful data for validating tyre simulation models of varying complexity. The theoretical and experimental studies presented in this thesis contribute to the deeper understanding of a number of aspects of the dynamic behaviour of construction machines. This work therefore provides a basis for the continued development of wheel suspensions for such vehicles. / QC 20110531

In this PhD thesis, we consider two computational models that address problems that arise when processing massive data sets. The first model is the Data Streaming Model. When processing massive data sets, random access to the input data is very costly. Therefore, streaming algorithms only have restricted access to the input data: They sequentially scan the input data once or only a few times. In addition, streaming algorithms use a random access memory of sublinear size in the length of the input. Sequential input access and sublinear memory are drastic limitations when designing algorithms. The major goal of this PhD thesis is to explore the limitations and the strengths of the streaming model. The second model is the Communication Model. When data is processed by multiple computational units at different locations, then the message exchange of the participating parties for synchronizing their calculations is often a bottleneck. The amount of communication should hence be as little as possible. A particular setting is the one-way two-party communication setting. Here, two parties collectively compute a function of the input data that is split among the two parties, and the whole message exchange reduces to a single message from one party to the other one. We study the following four problems in the context of streaming algorithms and one-way two-party communication: (1) Matchings in the Streaming Model. We are given a stream of edges of a graph G=(V,E) with n=|V|, and the goal is to design a streaming algorithm that computes a matching using a random access memory of size O(n polylog n). The Greedy matching algorithm fits into this setting and computes a matching of size at least 1/2 times the size of a maximum matching. A long standing open question is whether the Greedy algorithm is optimal if no assumption about the order of the input stream is made. We show that it is possible to improve on the Greedy algorithm if the input stream is in uniform random order. Furthermore, we show that with two passes an approximation ratio strictly larger than 1/2 can be obtained if no assumption on the order of the input stream is made. (2) Semi-matchings in Streaming and in Two-party Communication. A semi-matching in a bipartite graph G=(A,B,E) is a subset of edges that matches all A vertices exactly once to B vertices, not necessarily in an injective way. The goal is to minimize the maximal number of A vertices that are matched to the same B vertex. We show that for any 0<=ε<=1, there is a one-pass streaming algorithm that computes an O(n^((1-ε)/2))-approximation using Ô(n^(1+ε)) space. Furthermore, we provide upper and lower bounds on the two-party communication complexity of this problem, as well as new results on the structure of semi-matchings. (3) Validity of XML Documents in the Streaming Model. An XML document of length n is a sequence of opening and closing tags. A DTD is a set of local validity constraints of an XML document. We study streaming algorithms for checking whether an XML document fulfills the validity constraints of a given DTD. Our main result is an O(log n)-pass streaming algorithm with 3 auxiliary streams and O(log^2 n) space for this problem. Furthermore, we present one-pass and two-pass sublinear space streaming algorithms for checking validity of XML documents that encode binary trees. (4) Budget-Error-Correcting under Earth-Mover-Distance. We study the following one-way two-party communication problem. Alice and Bob have sets of n points on a d-dimensional grid [Δ]^d for an integer Δ. Alice sends a small sketch of her points to Bob and Bob adjusts his point set towards Alice's point set so that the Earth-Mover-Distance of Bob's points and Alice's points decreases. For any k>0, we show that there is an almost tight randomized protocol with communication cost Ô(kd) such that Bob's adjustments lead to an O(d)-approximation compared to the k best possible adjustments that Bob could make.