Architecture-independent programming and automatic parallelisation have long been regarded as two different means of alleviating the prohibitive costs of parallel software development. Building on recent advances in both areas, Architecture-Independent Loop Parallelisation proposes a unified approach to the parallelisation of scientific computing code. This novel approach is based on the bulk-synchronous parallel model of computation, and succeeds in automatically generating parallel code that is architecture-independent, scalable, and of analytically predictable performance.

Models of Sharing Graphs presents a sound mathematical basis for reasoning about models of computation involving shared resources, including graph rewriting systems, denotational semantics and concurrency theory. An algebraic approach, based on the language of category theory, is taken throughout this work, which enables the author to describe several aspects of the notion of sharing in a systematic way. In particular, a novel account of recursive computation created from cyclic sharing is developed using this framework.

Collaborative virtual environments are multi-user virtual realities which actively support communication and co-operation. This book addresses the theory, design, realisation and evaluation of such systems, with a particular emphasis on support for large numbers of distributed users. A broad approach is taken, which ranges from the sociology of interpersonal communication to the management of communication in distributed systems. The emphasis on multi-user environments distinguishes this book from the many general books on virtual reality which only deal with single-user systems. This book...

Extensional Constructs in Intensional Type Theory presents a novel approach to the treatment of equality in Martin-Loef type theory (a basis for important work in mechanised mathematics and program verification). Martin Hofmann attempts to reconcile the two different ways that type theories deal with identity types. The book will be of interest particularly to researchers with mainly theoretical interests and implementors of type theory based proof assistants, and also fourth year undergraduates who will find it useful as part of an advanced course on type theory.

Classifier systems are an intriguing approach to a broad range of machine learning problems, based on automated generation and evaluation of condi tion/action rules. Inreinforcement learning tasks they simultaneously address the two major problems of learning a policy and generalising over it (and re lated objects, such as value functions). Despite over 20 years of research, however, classifier systems have met with mixed success, for reasons which were often unclear. Finally, in 1995 Stewart Wilson claimed a long-awaited breakthrough with his XCS system, which differs from earlier classifier...

The topic of the research reported here is direct user participation in the task-based development of interactive software systems. Building usable software demands understanding and supporting users and their tasks. Users are a primary source of usability requirements and knowledge, since users can be expected to have intimate and extensive knowledge of themselves, their tasks and their working environment. Task analysis approaches to software development encourage a focus on supporting users and their tasks while participatory design approaches encourage users' direct, active contributions...

Object-oriented inheritance has been in widespread use for a decade, and it is now realised that although inheritance is a powerful modelling tool with many associated advantages, its benefits are not automatically conferred on systems that simply use it.
This book introduces a model of inheritance based around five fundamental inheritance relationships. Each relationship has a clear conceptual basis, representing a fundamental, specialised use of inheritance. The resulting model replaces a confused notion of inheritance with five distinct conceptual relationships supporting more precise...

Accurate Visual Metrology from Single and Multiple Uncalibrated Images presents novel techniques for constructing three-dimensional models from bi-dimensional images using virtual reality tools. Antonio Criminisi develops the mathematical theory of computing world measurements from single images, and builds up a hierarchy of novel, flexible techniques to make measurements and reconstruct three-dimensional scenes from uncalibrated images, paying particular attention to the accuracy of the reconstruction.
This book includes examples of interesting viable applications (eg....

Sir Isaac Newton's philosophi Naturalis Principia Mathematica'(the Principia) contains a prose-style mixture of geometric and limit reasoning that has often been viewed as logically vague.
In A Combination of Geometry Theorem Proving and Nonstandard Analysis, Jacques Fleuriot presents a formalization of Lemmas and Propositions from the Principia using a combination of methods from geometry and nonstandard analysis. The mechanization of the procedures, which respects much of Newton's original reasoning, is developed within the theorem prover Isabelle. The application of this...

First, I would like to thank my principal supervisor Dr Qiang Shen for all his help, advice and friendship throughout. Many thanks also to my second supervisor Dr Peter Jarvis for his enthusiasm, help and friendship. I would also like to thank the other members of the Approximate and Qualitative Reasoning group at Edinburgh who have also helped and inspired me. This project has been funded by an EPSRC studentship, award num- ber 97305803. I would like, therefore, to extend my gratitude to EPSRC for supporting this work. Many thanks to the staff at Edinburgh University for all their help and...