CGL Meeting Agenda

Wednesday, November 12, 1997

Location:
DC1304
Time:
1:30
Chair:
Liddy Olds

1. Adoption of the Agenda - additions or deletions

2. Coffee Hour

Coffee hour last week:
Celine
Coffee hour this week:
Blair
Coffee hour next week:
Any volunteers?

3. Next meeting

Date:
Wednesday, November 19, 1997
Location:
DC1302
Time:
1:30
Chair:
Paul Prescod
Technical Presentation:
Dan Milgram

4. Forthcoming

Chairs:
  1. Alberto Raposo (Nov 26)
  2. Mark Riddell (Dec 3)
  3. Navid Sadikali (Dec 10)
Tech Presenters:
  1. Liddy Olds (Nov 26)
  2. Paul Prescod (Dec 3)
  3. Alberto Raposo (Dec 10)

5. Technical Presentation

Presenter:
Adarsh Mehta
Title:
Visualizing Sound
Abstract:
We are used to hearing words like graphical, lines, surfaces, continuous, discontinuous, conjunct, disjunct, depth, colour, brightness, texture, density, etc. when referring to something visual or when describing something in spatial terms. To describe what we hear in a piece of music, we often fall back on our sense of sight. I will explore the use of visual terminology in music, a field other than graphics.

6. General Discussion Items

7. Action List

8. Director's Meeting

9. Seminars

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
SEMINAR ACTIVITIES
USER INTERFACES/SYSTEMS SEMINAR
                    -Monday, November 17, 1997
Gary  Capell,  University  of  Sydney,  Australia, will
speak on ``The Wily editing environment''.

TIME:                1:30-2:30 p.m.
ROOM:                DC 1304
ABSTRACT
Wily  is  an  editing  environment  for X windows. It's
intended  to  fill a similar niche to EMACS, with a few
differences.   It   has  a  much  greater  emphasis  on
interaction through the mouse. It integrates with other
tools  through inter-process communication, rather than
extending  itself  with a scripting language. It has no
"modes"  or  dialogs. It is smaller (smaller than vi on
the  author's system). Wily is based on the Acme system
>from   Plan 9, which itself is based on the Oberon user-
interface.  The  talk will mainly be a demonstration of
the  Wily  way  of  working,  with  a brief look at the
design  and  at  some  strengths  and weaknesses of the
approach.
Biography
Gary  Capell  is  currently  completing  a  PhD  at the
University of Sydney, Australia on "Log-Structured File
Systems for Disconnected Operation", and developed Wily
after using Acme on Plan 9 soured him to other editors.
He  has  a  BE (Electonics and Communications) from the
University of Sydney, and worked briefly for Telecom.




The Pure Math Applied Math and C&O Club Proudly Presents
                THE PARAPHYSICS OF STAR TREK
                       BY DR. G TENTI
Paraphysics is the study of natural phenomena outside the sphere of
ordinary physics.  For example, according to ordinary physics an
explosion in vacuo makes no noise - but in Star Trek every such an
explosion goes kaboom!  Similarly, in ordinary physics nothing can be
colder than absolute zero, which on the Celsius scale is about -273
degrees -- but the crew of the Enterprise once had to deal with an
object at -295 Celsius!  Besides learning about paraphysical
phenomena, you will also get an overview of the course AM364: Subspace
dynamics 6C 12T 0.5CR, which is entirely based on paraphysics
(although it has AM261 as a prerequisite...)
Live long and prosper!
Thursday November 13th 4:30 MC 2065  Spacilicious snacks will be served. 




DEPARTMENT OF SYSTEMS DESIGN ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
SEMINAR SERIES
               - Wednesday, November 19th
Srikanth Munirathnam, a graduate student in the department of
Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo will
speak on ``Entropy Optimization and the MinMax Measure''
Time and Place:  11:30am in DC-1304
Abstract:
Jaynes' maximum entropy principle has found applications in a wide array of
probabilistic systems. The principle derives its validity in the process of
maximization of Shannon's entropy with respect to a given set of moment
constraints. The dual principle of minimum entropy is associated with the
information-theoretic structure underlying a probabilistic system. The full 
potential of minimum entropy principle is not exploited on account of the 
computational difficulties involved in the determination of minimum entropy 
probability distribution. The minimum entropy problem is known to be NP-Hard.
The seminar will present an approximate method for determining minimum entropy.
The goal is to define a quantitative measure (called the MinMax measure) to
determine the amount of information contained in a given set of constraints.
We will discuss the computational issues involved in determining minimum
entropy, maximum entropy, and the MinMax measures and point out their possible 
applications in some interesting research problems.
Supervisor(s): Dr. Peter Roe (Systems Design)
               Dr. H. K. Kesavan (Systems Design)
Readers: Dr. Ed Jernigan (Systems Design)
         Dr. P. Calamai (Systems Design)




DEPARTMENT OF SYSTEMS DESIGN ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
SEMINAR SERIES
               - Wednesday, November 19th
Sadek Ali, a graduate student in the department of Systems Design 
Engineering at the University of Waterloo will speak on 
``Evaluating Renewable Energy Systems Alternatives Using Life-Cycle
Assessment'' 
Time and Place:  12:15pm in DC-1304
 
Abstract:
                                
In planning the development of renewable energy systems into
large-scale energy generation, there exists many challenges in meeting
the targets of reliability, cost-effectiveness and load demand. These
challenges are compounded by the use of traditional energy planning
schemes, which were meant for monolithic and centralized facilities. In
contrast, renewable energy systems are endemically limited to
distributed, small-scale, and local facility and distribution schemes
because of renewable energy's dependence on local climatic and
environmental conditions.
This paper introduces an integrated renewable energy system (IRES)
planning methodology for achieving sustainable energy cultivation based
on regional climatic and land conditions. The methodology employed will
demonstrate how using both a land-use classification of the region and
suitable life-cycle analysis (LCA) models of candidate technologies, a
macroscopic (lumped) regional energy planning model can be developed.
Through land-based power generation capacity and local boundaries, the
LCA will be used in comparing the different possible mixes of renewable
electricity in order to formulate a multi-objective optimization. The
result of the optimization will be a set of feasible IRES energy
profiles which should meet prescribed macroscopic environmental and
economic criteria.
SUPERVISOR(s): Dr. K. Ponnambalam (Systems Design)
                    
Readers:  Dr. M. Chandrashekar (Systems Design)
          Dr. G.J. Savage (Systems Design)
          




DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
SEMINAR ACTIVITIES
MASTER'S ESSAY PRESENTATION
                    -Thursday, November 20, 1997
Edwin  Chung, graduate student, Dept. Comp. Sci., Univ.
Waterloo, will speak on ``Push Technology''.
TIME:                3:30-4:30 p.m.
ROOM:                DC 1331
ABSTRACT
Push   Technology,   or   webcasting   -   the  art  of
broadcasting  data,  text, applets files and multimedia
presentations directly to the desktop personal computer
or  Internet device - as a new model for web site-based
delivery  of  advertising,  entertainment  and  company
information.
This essay presents the three types of push technology.
The  two models for data delivery which is suitable for
personal  home  users  and  company  employees within a
Intranet are also presented.

10. Lab Cleanup