Unbounded Model Checking for ATL

In this paper, we deal with verification of multi-agent systems represented as concurrent game structures. To express properties to be verified, we use Alternating-Time Temporal Logic (ATL) formulas. We provide an implementation of symbolic model checking for ATL and preliminary, but encouraging experimental results.

Symbolism of Colour of the Vietnamese National Garment Áo Dài: Historical Foundations, Development and Interpretations

This paper is an attempt to analyze the color symbolism of traditional Vietnamese o di costume, as well as to identify and characterize the main reasons and peculiarities of transformations in this sphere. The symbolic model of color is considered in the context of language, socio-historical and cultural processes. The focus is on women's traditional costume, as it has undergone far more extensive changes than mens and has a much broader scope of use today.

Towards identifying knowledge bases in KIBS through their service development process

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS), to understand how they implement their service development (SD) processes and how these processes are related to their knowledge bases (KB) as not enough studies have focussed on the understanding of KIBS heterogeneity, by analysing the nature and essence of these firms’ activities. Design/methodology/approach The work adopts the case study approach involving 12 KIBS firms with different KB according to Bjorn Asheim and colleagues’ “synthetic, analytical, symbolic model”, which identifies synthetic, analytical and symbolic primary KB. Findings The research results showed how the SD processes are systemised in KIBS companies depending on the KB. The proposed empirical method for defining KB confirmed the assumed existence of a new type or subtype of KB for legal companies “Compliance/Interpretive”. Research limitations/implications Further research, based on a larger number of companies, is needed to confirm or complement the results of this research, as well as to find more methods to define and evaluate KB on an empirical basis. Practical implications The correct classification of the applied KB can help a company to create effective processes for developing innovative services, while understanding of knowledge dynamic in general – to organise a working process that corresponds to employees’ needs and is more adaptable to the changes in society. Originality/value The study proposed a new empirical method for defining and evaluating KB in KIBS companies based on their SD processes. This study makes a significant contribution to research by identifying knowledge-integration practices needed to enhance innovation performance.

Towards post-quantum security for cyber-physical systems: Integrating PQC into industrial M2M communication1

The threat of a cryptographically relevant quantum computer contributes to an increasing interest in the field of post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Compared to existing research efforts regarding the integration of PQC into the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, industrial communication protocols have so far been neglected. Since industrial cyber-physical systems (CPS) are typically deployed for decades, protection against such long-term threats is needed. In this work, we propose two novel solutions for the integration of post-quantum (PQ) primitives (digital signatures and key establishment) into the industrial protocol Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA): a hybrid solution combining conventional cryptography with PQC and a solution solely based on PQC. Both approaches provide mutual authentication between client and server and are realized with certificates fully compliant to the X.509 standard. We implement the two solutions and measure and evaluate their performance across three different security levels. All selected algorithms (Kyber, Dilithium, and Falcon) are candidates for standardization by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). We show that Falcon is a suitable option – especially – when using floating-point hardware provided by our ARM-based evaluation platform. Our proposed hybrid solution provides PQ security for early adopters but comes with additional performance and communication requirements. Our solution solely based on PQC shows superior performance across all evaluated security levels in terms of handshake duration compared to conventional OPC UA but comes at the cost of increased handshake sizes. In addition to our performance evaluation, we provide a proof of security in the symbolic model for our two PQC-based variants of OPC UA. For this proof, we use the cryptographic protocol verifier ProVerif and formally verify confidentiality and authentication properties of our quantum-resistant variants.

The Situational Rationality of Task Performance: Artifacts of Belief in Human Problem-Solving and Artificial Intelligence

Understanding the artificiality of belief is crucial for the image it generates regarding task performance in the course of problem-solving. This paper examines the contribution of the artificial as a model of human intervention and its relationship to a model of human participation. Specifically, it details the logical differences underlying how belief operationalizes the perception of complexity and its effects on task performance in human and machine problem-solving. Three configurations of artificiality are presented to explain these differences and their effects on the relationship between representation and computation in problem-solving. The first describes the “natural artifact” that arises from a symbolic model of intelligence and the design of a maze. The second describes the “natural artifact” that arises from a sub-symbolic model of intelligence and the design of a mold. The third examines how a hybrid model of intelligence requires “socio-cognitive artifacts” in which a means of adaptation is primarily mediated by discourse rather than design. In doing so, the paper examines how momentary beliefs explain the situational rationality of task performance. The paper concludes with a commentary on the requisites of artificial intelligibility in machine problem-solving.

Method for dealing with non-stationary natural and simulating interference in intellectual surveillance radars

The article discusses a method for dealing with non-stationary natural and simulating interference in intelligent surveillance radars. When creating simulating marks, the introduction of amplitude modulation into the relayed radar sounding signal is used. As a result of the analysis, it was possible to find out that in the imitating noise, in this case, the so-called "intelligent" fluctuations of the burst structure of false marks appear, which differ from the fluctuations of the packs of real marks and can be easily detected by a human operator. The method is based on the definition of semantic components at the stage of formation and analysis of a symbolic model of amplitude fluctuations of a burst of signals from non-stationary natural and simulating interference and from real moving objects. In this case, the semantic features of amplitude fluctuations are determined by solving predicate equations for transforming these fluctuations into symbolic images of noise marks and real mobile aircraft. As a result of semantic analysis of the amplitude fluctuations of the burst in the time domain, classification distinctive features of fluctuations in the burst of signals from natural imitating noise and air objects were obtained. The semantic components of the decision-making algorithm are investigated, which are similar to the decision-making algorithms by a human operator. Process knowledge of transforming radar signals into symbolic images of amplitude fluctuations of a burst in the time domain is formalized. The formalization of the processing of symbolic images includes a system of predicate equations, by solving which the types of amplitude fluctuations of the burst are identified. Based on the results of experimental data, the transformations of real radar signals into symbolic images of burst fluctuations were carried out on the basis of the algebra of finite predicates. The authors also managed to propose these transformations to be used as the basis of an effective toolkit for obtaining classification distinctive features of packet fluctuations from interference and from aircraft.

A Systematic Approach to Formal Analysis of QUIC Handshake Protocol Using Symbolic Model Checking

As a newly proposed secure transport protocol, QUIC aims to improve the transport performance of HTTPS traffic and enable rapid deployment and evolution of transport mechanisms. QUIC is currently in the IETF standardization process and will potentially carry a significant portion of Internet traffic in the emerging future. An important safety goal of QUIC protocol is to provide effective data service for users. To aim this safety requirement, we propose a formal analysis method to analyze the safety of QUIC handshake protocol by using model checker SPIN and cryptographic protocol verifier ProVerif. Our analysis shows the counterexamples to safety properties, which reveal a design flaw in the current protocol specification. To this end, we also propose and verify a possible fix that is able to mitigate these flaws.