CAREER: Problem Solving in Dynamic, Distributed Environments

职业：在动态、分布式环境中解决问题

• 批准号: 1350671
• 负责人: Roger Mailler
• 金额: $ 45.08万
• 依托单位: University of Tulsa
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-01-15 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1350671&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Problem; Solving; Dynamic; Distributed

Computers are increasingly used to monitor and manage many aspects of our daily lives. These systems are often required to work together to solve complex problems that are rapidly changing. Current approaches to addressing these situations develop tailored distributed protocols that are verified through empirical testing. This project increases the practical applicability of distributed problem solving techniques by developing a theoretical model of these problems based on thermodynamic theory. Using this model, a protocol's performance can, for the first time ever, be predicted under previously untested conditions.This theoretical model is validated through extensive empirical evaluation and this project develops a new protocol that alters its problem solving strategy to maximize the trade-off between deliberate and reactive decision making based on environmental dynamics. This protocol is applied to address a pressing practical problem: allocating telescopes for tracking objects in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). With nearly all of our manned space missions and satellites in LEO, effectively monitoring space debris has broad implications to society at large and scientific progress along numerous directions.This transformative research combines cross-disciplinary ideas from artificial intelligence, distributed systems, and statistical physics. The educational initiatives in this project directly address the recruitment and retention of students, especially focusing on women and minorities, into Computer Science by generating excitement through the Heartland Gaming Expo and by utilizing a new peer outreach program, called Engineering Ambassadors.

越来越多地使用计算机来监视和管理我们日常生活的许多方面。 通常需要这些系统一起工作以解决正在迅速变化的复杂问题。 解决这些情况的当前方法开发了量身定制的分布式协议，这些方案通过经验测试进行了验证。 该项目通过基于热力学理论开发这些问题的理论模型来提高分布式问题解决技术的实际适用性。 使用该模型，协议的性能可以在先前未经测试的条件下进行首次预测。该理论模型通过广泛的经验评估得到验证，并且该项目开发了一种新协议，以改变其问题解决策略，以最大程度地利用基于环境动力学的刻意和反应性决策之间的权衡。 该协议用于解决一个紧迫的实际问题：分配望远镜以跟踪低地球轨道（LEO）中的对象。借助我们在狮子座中的几乎所有载人的太空任务和卫星，有效监测空间碎片在许多方向上都对社会具有广泛的影响。这项变革性研究结合了人工智能，分布式系统和统计物理学的跨学科思想。 该项目的教育举措直接介绍了通过Heartland Gaming Expo产生兴奋并利用新的同行外展计划，即工程大使，介绍了学生，尤其是妇女和少数群体的招聘和保留。