We study a model for language evolution which was introduced by Nowak and Krakauer ([12]). We analyze discrete distance spaces and prove a conjecture of Nowak for all metrics with a positive semidefinite associated matrix. This natural class of metrics includes all metrics studied by different authors in this connection. In particular it includes all ultra-metric spaces. Furthermore, the role o...

Virtual Environments (VEs) and perceptive user interfaces must deal with complex users and their modes of interaction. One way to approach this problem is to recognize users’ nuances (subtle conscious or unconscious actions). In exploring nuance-oriented interfaces, we attempted to let users work as they preferred without being biased by feedback or affordances in the system. The hope was that ...

Usual processes for pursuing education excellence in a graduate56 program are candidate selection, coursework, research, and thesis defense. This paper is an experience report on a complementary approach: the growing of a peer review culture among graduate students. We instruct first-year masters and doctoral students on principles for preparing a thesis proposal. Students present their proposa...

This paper describes an experiment and its results concerning research that has been going on for a number of years in the area of anthropomorphic user interface feedback. The main aims of the research have been to examine the effectiveness and user satisfaction of anthropomorphic feedback. The results are useful to all user interface designers wishing to improve the usability of their products...

We consider interference rejection for synchronous CDMA frequency non-selective channels using multiuser decision-feedback detector. The average error rate of the ideal two-user decision feedback detector is derived in a closed form and the asymptotic multiuser efficiency is proved to be unity. The effect of error propagation on the actual decision-feedback detectors is investigated through sim...

The user dimension is a crucial component in the information retrieval process and for this reason it must be taken into account in planning and technique implementation in information retrieval systems. In this paper we present a technique based on relevance feedback to improve the accuracy in an ontology based information retrieval system. Our proposed method combines the semantic information...

We propose an extension to the P3P framework that enables a consumer and a web service to engage in active policy negotiation. In addition, we discuss enforcement strategies for negotiated consumer preferences.

Organizing data into hierarchies is natural for humans. However, there is little work in machine learning that explores human-machine mixed-initiative approaches to organizing data into hierarchical clusters. In this paper we consider mixed-initiative clustering of a user's email, in which the machine produces (initial and re-trained) hierarchical clusterings of email, and the user iteratively ...

A primary challenge to large-scale data integration is creating semantic equivalences between elements from different data sources that correspond to the same real-world entity or concept. Dataspaces propose a pay-as-you-go approach: automated mechanisms such as schema matching and reference reconciliation provide a initial correspondences, termed candidate matches, and then user feedback is us...

Social media systems rely on user feedback and rating mechanisms for personalization, ranking, and content filtering. However, when users evaluate content contributed by fellow users (e.g., by liking a post or voting on a comment), these evaluations create complex social feedback effects. This paper investigates how ratings on a piece of content affect its author’s future behavior. By studying ...