Welcome to Unlimited Worlds of Knowledge

Tosiyasu Laurence Kunii is Chief Technical Advisor of Morpho, Inc., The University of Tokyo, Entrepreneur Plaza 5F
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
e-mai: kunii(at-mark)morphoinc(dot)com; tosi(at-mark)kunii(dot)com
Phone: +81-3-5805-3975
FAX: +81-3-5805-3957
Morpho, inc. URL: http://www.morphoinc.com
Tosiyasu Laurence Kunii URL: http://www.kunii.com/

He has been working to explore and advance knowledge, and to make them realized in the real world we live to improve life of people.

Knowledge as information has been on ever evolving local and global digital media, basically networked, as digital spaces named "cyberspaces". Digtal worlds buit in such spaces form "cyberworlds", running crutial activities in our life including e-business, e-manufacturing, e-education, e-finacing, electonic arts and music. Digital media have grown from those on heavy monmmothes to lighter and lighter devices, and now on copletely portable multimedia devices called cellular phones. They are far beyond phones, mailers, Web browsers and TV, but are also finantial devices we handle purchases and credits.

Morpho, Inc. is for such media, to help a part of the University of Tokyo mission as a way to implement governmental policy of making it an independent administrative institution (IAI). To integrate academia and societies have been experimented for long internationally, and to practice it through such advancing media is a real challenge, deserving serious social attention. In some sense, it is spectacular, requiring real devotion of pioneers and experts.

He was Director of IT Institute and Professor at Department of Computer and Information Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kanazawa Institute of Technology since April, 2003 to March 2008 as you view at old URL.

Cyberworld Projects

Since 1968 projects have been pursuied to explore information worlds named "cyberworlds" on computational spaces generally named "cyberspaces".Invitation_to_System_Sciences.pdf. It includes a project being pursued since 1968 to create an international graduate university on global information technology. It was firt relized as Information Science Subcourse of Graduate Faculty of Science, and concurrently as a newly created Information Science Laboratories, at the University of Tokyo, in April 1970. Later it was realized as the University of Aizu in April 1983 in a historical city of Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima Profecture.

By the courtesy of Jardin de Luseine. Photographer: Tosiyasu L. Kunii

Life efforts have been made on creating a global IT professional departments, schools and universities through social IT infrastructure development. After successful cases, recently a new grand design was presented at the First Distinguished Lecture of the University of Aizu(Lecture sides

). It is physically distributed to meet individual local needs and logically supported by an internaional top level faculty globally. Such efforts are for firmely advancing global society we face. Such a goal does not really fit to recent international trends to grasp fairly short term cash for short term profit of local interest rather than for human future. Yet, it has been my life long goal grounded on my trust of human future.

I t includes digital media in Digital Media Division such that we can lead the area of digital media as seen typically in intensive use of digital media in TV broadcasting as prominent in emerging Aljazeera in Qatar. To automate digital media, diffential topology such as the Morse theory and the Reeb graph plays a central role to homotopically genete in-betweens for animation and 3D images automatically from a few frame of images as have been intensively studied for a couple of decades at Kunii Laboratory, Information Science Department, the University of Tokyo as summarized in a paper "Unconstrained Automatic Image Matching Using Multiresolutional Critical-Point Filters",Yoshihisa Shinagawa and Tosiyasu L. Kunii,IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 20, No. 9, pp. 994-1010, September 1998.cpf-PAMI Sptember 1998. For example, given a pair of images, (image1 and image2), our 1998 technology automatically generates in-betweens homotopically, hence an animated image. To provide further high demand digital media technology for inforamtion communication, numerous technological advances are continued to be made based on the solid mathematical ground of differential topology and algebraic topology including topological graphics.

Further, Information System Division aims to research and develop information systems such as enterprize information management systems, financial and hospital information systems, e-commerce systems, and digital government systems, based on automated and tested information system system generators we have developed recently.

Information System Division also aims to work to cover ever increasing high demand embedded systems technology including those for portable devices such as cellular phones that now serve for digital media as seen in one-seg TV. Traditional embedded system development technology based on hardware dependent implementation has been suffering from economical troubles of longer development periods of software than those of ever shortening hardware life cicles. It is being upgraded to that of portable technology based on embedded OS plus general cross platform development environments, and now to that of model-based semi automated generation such as those based on executable UML2.0 which still suffers from combinatorial testing explosion of design validation and hisapproach via an incrementally modular abstratction hierarchy (IMAH)
(TVC-CW2005-Extended-Reprint.)
IEICE_May_2005.pdf
grounded on algebraic topology is shown to overcome this fundamental difficulty. To be more precise, he adds the following information below.

His personal research reveals that by wisely applying high level abstraction via an incrementally modular abstratction hierarchy (IMAH), these applications can be reduced to only one software to generate individual applications automatically while combinatorially exploding testing are becoming unnecessary based on invariant preservation via equivalence relations in quotient and adjunction spaces.

Here is further background information on IT. It is a sort of common sense. The core of IT is CS (Computer Science), and add IS (Information Systems) as a major application area. IS includes basic social information infrastructure. The graduate curriculum on IS for Master Courses has been updated by ACM and IEEE Computer Society as seen in the 2006 version. There has been no Doctor Course IS curriculum. Therefore, for GITGS, he is trying to build it up to automate information system construction, testing and validation that have been manual, internationally causing social disasters originating from combinatorial information explosion. It starts from requirement process specification as usual. To automate and to eliminate the exponential growth of integrating IS by making it linear, we have to define the architecture of information systems clearly for both machines and human beings. Only ways to do it are, as stated above, through high level abstract algebra to compute and hence by algebraic topology.

After 2 dacades of intensive search and human resource training, there are still only a couple of people who can integrate and implement both IS based on algebraic and differential topology. That has been the difficulty for over 25 years. A solid project is being prepared for international social infrastructute.

His current researches and projects include:

1. Information system integration and interoperability with applications to corporate merges, digital governments and distance education. The basic researches so far have finished the theoretical part on the linear integration and linear interoperability of information systems, that are generally known to be combinatorial putting the global society into extreme difficulty. TVC-CW2005-Extended-Reprint.) Now the prototype implementations ustilizing Web computing are partly finished.

Open Education in practice: Dali2001 paper paper
On Science of Computer Visualization: The Capstone Talk, VG2003pdf
Rebuilding the Open Society: The Keynote, Dali2003 pdf

It includes open source education for desktops and servers. Integrating open source for education to create critical mass of people to use, to work in further integrations, and also to join open souce development to let people uderstand, to any depth, the mechanisms and structures of most widely required information systems to solve the shotage of IT professionals on the globe by sharing high demand information technology.Thus, the integrated open source is turned into a non exaustive and self evolutionary resorce on the globe unlike the exasutive and limited resources such as oils and lands. One purpose is to use is to let ever fiting human beings for securing limeted resorces turn to this self evolutionary resource, and another goal is to eliminate IT devides internationally (see CW2004_keynotekeynote). One recent international project OLPC (One Laptop per Child) http://laptop.org/ proposed by one of my old friends, Professor Nicholas Negroponte is a good exaple to practice it and very valuable.

3. The reseaches on conceptual modeling have been progressing steadily in varieties of areas in relating human concepts with cyberworlds as computational worls. A visual conceptual modeling is an interesting area with versatile applications. Conceptual worlds are physically projected on screens after visualization for clearer human communication requiring visual concetual modeling. Some examples are here. Visualizing and modeling ever changing kaleidoscope worlds analogus to human cenceptual worlds..Conceptual Modeling of Multi Resolution Analysis.TopologicalGraphics-reprint-rev.pdf.

4. Cyberworld modeling has been pursued since 1968. An essay published in 1969 Invitation_to_System_Sciences.pdf has served for disseminating the initial thinking, and was the base of the prososal to start a new Information and Computer Science Department at the University of Tokyo (realized in 1975). It was intially authorized in 1970 as Information Science Laboratories at Faculty of Science of the University of Tokyo with a graduate subcourse of Information Sciences. The researches on cyberworlds have been deepened and expanded there. One theoretical ground was presented at Cyberworld Conference 2003. Since cyberworlds are very generic, it is based on high level of abstraction of algebraic topology (CW2002 Keynote, CW2003 Keynote, CW2004 Keynote, CW2005 ).

Before that he was Professor of Hosei University, where he had been practicing open source education by organizing open source seminars for the first year undergraduate students to lean Linux kernels and PostgreSQL client/server database management. His other roles include Honorary Visiting Professor of University of Bradford, and Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo and of the University of Aizu.

He was the Founding President and Professor of the University of Aizu dedicated to computer science and engineering as a meta discipline based on open source, from 1993 to 1997, to advance knowledge for humanity. There, he coined and installed an integrated and computer-based educational system on Unix workstations and on the Internet web to cover all academic disciplines. He received his B.Sc. in 1962, M.Sc. in 1964 and D.Sc. in 1967 all from the University of Tokyo. He had been Professor of Department of Computer and Information Science at the University of Tokyo from June 1978 until March 1993. As described above, it was late 1960s he drafted the initial proposal to found the Department to research on cyberworlds and educate young people in that promising area as a discipline of the cyber genesis. He has also contracted both academic and commercial licenses with Bell Laboratories to educate and develop Unix source codes for network system development and advanced applications. It was a first step towards open source education.

He received the 1998 Taylor L. Booth Education Award of IEEE Computer Society , the highest educational award of IEEE Computer Society given to one individual annually, for "initiating and promoting computer and information science education in Japan and for seminal contributions towards the integration of computer-based education in all academic disciplines" on November 13, 1999. In January 1991 he was elected Fellow of IEEE for his contribution to visual computer and visual computation. In 2005, he has bocome Life Fellow of IEEE. He was also elected Fellow of the Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ) for "International Contributions to Pioneering in and Establishing the Discipline of Visual Computing", March 14, 2000.

He authored and edited around 50 books in computer science and in general areas, and published over 300 refereed original academic/technical papers in computer science and applications.

Finding the great potential of cyberworls in the late 1960s as written in "Discovering Cyberworlds" , IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, January/February 2000, pp. 64-65, he initiated a raster graphics project that time to realize a virtual fashion show on raster screens. The raster graphics developed could display 4,096 concurrent colors supported by a virtual frame buffer. The result was given a chance to be presented by a first open computer graphics conference named SIGGRAPH created July 15-17, 1974 in Boulder, Colorado, with the full paper "An Interactive Fashion Design System 'INFADS' ", T. L. Kunii, T. Amano, H. Arisawa and S. Okada, Computer and Graphics, Vol. 1, pp. 297-302 (1975). The Computer and Graphics Journal two special issues served as the proceedings of the 1st SIGGRAPH.

To share such visual databases, he developed a visual database system at the same time: "A Relational Data Base Schema for Describing Complex Picture with Color and Texture", T. L. Kunii, S. Weyl and J. M. Tanenbaum, Proc. of the 2nd International Joint Conference on Pattern Recognition, pp.310-316 (Lyngby-Copenhagen, August 1974) [also available as Stanford Research Institute Technical Note 93, SRI Project 8721 (June 1974); reprinted in Policy Analysis and Information Systems, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 127-142 (January 1978)].

Later in early 1980s, to extend cyberwold related activities on the Internet, he developed networked workstations porting UNIX. Actually he was the first in Japan to contract the source code license for academic use and commercial use from Bell Lab. He exhibited the Unix workstations at COMDEX in Las Vegas in 1983, making him among the first originators of UNIX workstations in the world.

Soon after, he also developed a broadband network system, now a hot subject, and installed it at 500 sites for real time control of various equipment and multimedia as seen in "CrossoverNet : A Computer Graphics/Video Crossover LAN System", T. L. Kunii and Y. Shirota, The Visual Computer: An International Journal of Computer Graphics, Vol. 2, No. 2 pp. 78-89 (May, 1986) [also in Computer Graphics: Visual Technology and Art, Proc. of Computer Graphics Tokyo '85, April 23-26, 1985, Tokyo), T. L. Kunii (ed.), pp. 189-200 (Springer-Verlag, Tokyo, 1985)].

The University of Aizu networked business system, interconnecting 1000 UNIX workstations on campus including a digital library system, was developed by the team having the core of people he used to train through the Unix workstation development project at Information Science Department he initiated the foundation in 1970 at the University of Tokyo and then employed and further trained as software experts by Software Research Center of Ricoh under the direction of Dr. Hideko S. Kunii, Senior Corporate Vice President of Ricoh, Co., Ltd, and now Chairperson of Ricoh Software, Inc.

These have been a part of his practices to advance societies by educating innovative people based on free software and open source as publicly defined by many leaders.

1. Kenji Ohmori and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "A Pi-Calculus Modeling Method for Cyberworlds Systems using the Duality between a Fibration and a Cofibration", Proccdings of Cyberworlds 2008, September 22-24, Hangzou, China, pp. 363-370, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California 90720-1314, U. S. A.

Abstract Cyberworld systems are characterized by distributed functions and mobile communication. The Pi-calculus gives theoretical background for designing and modeling such systems. In this paper, an original method for designing mobile communication systems executed in parallel in the cyberworlds theoretically and systematically is discussed using homotopy theory in the most modern field of mathematics. Homotopy theory gives computer science the theoretical back ground of designing and modeling in the most general way. The homotopy lifting property and homotopy extension property categorizing topological spaces in mathematics are effective in bottom-up / top-down development in computer science. By applying it for designing and modeling complicated systems in the cyberworlds, the paper shows incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy starting with homotopy theory and ending with program codes makes a system development theoretically and systematically efficient and error prone.

2. Toshio Kodama, Tosiyasu L. Kunii, Yoichi Seki, "The Search Experience using Condition Formulas based on the Cellular Model", Proceedings of First IEEE International Conference on the Applications of Digital Information and Web Technologies (ICADIWT 2008), Ostrava, Czech, 4-6 Aug. 2008, 19_70.pdf of CD Proceedings.

abstract Cyberworlds of intentional design, as well as those emerging spontaneously, are forming on the Web. A novel information model called the cellular model can model objects and their relations in Cyberworlds from general to specific based on the incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy. We have previously developed a processing system called the Cellular Data System (CDS) based on the model. This time we have designed and implemented the process for dividing spaces by creating condition formulas according to the set theoretical processing in the CDS. We currently take advantage of a useful search function called a condition formula search. Creating condition formulas essentially means that data operation requirements of users themselves can be included into a system as a space on the set theoretical level when employing CDS in business application development and also suggests the starting point of implementing the process graph theory, which makes linear business application system development possible, preventing combinatorial explosions.

3. Toshio Kodama, Tosiyasu L. Kunii, Yoichi Seki, "Flexible Data Search Using Condition Formulas", Proceedings of the International Joint Conference on e-Business and Telecommunications (ICE-B 2008), Porto, Portugal, 26-29 July 2008, Technically Co-Sponsored by IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Society, pp. 21-28, INSTICC Press, Avenida D. Manuel I, 27A 2º Esquerdo, Setúbal Portugal 2910-595.
abstract Cyberworlds are distributed systems on the Web, and are constantly evolving like living things, creating value. Currently, numerous Web business applications, such as cyberworld systems are being built, but in the development of the systems, combinatorial explosion happens because schemas and application programs must be modified whenever schemas change. We designed and implemented the logic of a flexible data search function by employing a condition formula on the cellular data system. This is the starting point to the implementation of the process graph theory, which makes a linear approach to overcoming combinatorial explosion possible.

4. Toshio Kodama, Tosiyasu L. Kunii and Yoichi Seki, "A Condition Formula Search", Proceedings of 2008 SIWN Congress, Glasgow, UK, 22-24 July 2008 (Abstract); and also in International Journal of Communications of the Systemics and Informatics World Network (SIWN), UK, pp. 39-44.
Abstract Cyberworlds are distributed systems where data and their dependencies are constantly changing and evolving. In such business application systems, combinatorial explosion happens because you must modify schemas and application programs whenever schemas change, if you use existing techniques. To solve the problem, we have developed a data processing system called Cellular Data System (CDS) based on the cellular model, which is considered the most appropriate to model cyberworlds, using an algebra system called Formula Expression. In this paper, we design and implement a condition formula and its processing maps as an important function in CDS. A condition formula search is a very effective measure when you want to analyze data in cyberworlds without losing consistency in the entire system, since you can search for the data you want without changing application programs, if you employ a condition formula search. That is, a condition formula search is an analysis measure for the worlds under the assumption of frequent changes of schemas. Therefore, if you use CDS, the development process is completely different from the general one, since we do not have to design business specification clearly at requirements analysis. In addition, we demonstrate the effectiveness of a condition formula search by taking up an example of a photo file management system.

5. Kenji Ohmori and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Mathematical Modeling of Ubiquitous Systems", Proceedings of the First IEEE International Conference on Ubi-media Computing (U-Media 2008), Lanzhou University, China, July 15th July 16th, 2008, pp. 69-74, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U.S.A.

Abstract Ubiquitous systems built in the environment of distributed or parallel computing are more complicated than conventional digital systems. This paper describes how ubiquitous systems are modeled mathematically or in a formal way using the incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy. Firstly, the system requirements represented by event sequences are mathematically expressed by the Cartesian product of actors and events using a fiber bundle. Then, the fiber bundles is lifted by the homotopy lifting property to the set of subspaces, each of which describes the behavior of a part of the system. This property is used for modeling the ubiquitous system in a bottom-up way. Assembling behaviors distributed in parts of the system, the behavior of an actor is defined by the homotopy extension property for modeling the system in a top-down way. Finally, the behaviors of the actors are adjoined together by attaching functions to express the system behavior, which is equivalent to the process obtained by process algebra. The problem of process algebra not having the methodology of how the system is modeled from system requirements to formal description is solved by the proposed incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy.

Keywords: Homotopy, incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy, process algebra, system development.

6.Toshio Kodama, Tosiyasu L. Kunii and Yoichi Seki, "WWW Business Applications based on the Cellular Model", Journal of Computer Science and Technology 23(2): pp. 176-187, March 2008, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany.

Abstract A cellular model based on the Incrementally Modular Abstraction Hierarchy (IMAH) is a novel model that can represent the architecture of and changes in cyberworlds, preserving invariants from a general level to a specific one. We have developed a data processing system called the Cellular Data System (CDS). In the development of business applications, you can prevent combinatorial explosion in the process of business design and testing by using CDS. In this paper, we have first designed and implemented wide-use algebra on the presentation level. Next, we have developed and verified the effectiveness of two general business applications using CDS: 1) a customer information management system, and 2) an estimate system.
Keywords : cyberworlds, incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy, formula expression, topological space, adjunction space, cellular space, presentation level

1. Toshio Kodama, Tosiyasu L. Kunii and Yoichi Seki, "Development of WWW Business Applications based on the Cellular Data System", Proceedings of The First International Symposium on Data, Privacy, and E-Commerce, Chengdu, China, November 1-3, 2007, pp. 56-61, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California 90720-1314, U. S. A.

Abstract A cellular model based on the Incrementally Modular Abstraction Hierarchy (IMAH) is a novel model that can represent the architecture of and changes in cyberworlds, preserving invariants from a general level to a specific one. We have developed a data processing system called the Cellular Data System (CDS). In the development of business applications, you can prevent combinatorial explosion in the process of business design and testing by using CDS. In this paper, we have first designed and implemented wide-use algebra on the presentation level. Next, we have developed and verified the effectiveness of a general business application using CDS.

Keywords: cyberworlds, incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy, cellular model, formula expression, topological space, cellular space, presentation level
2. Kenji Ohmori and Tosiyasu L. Kunii,"Mathematical Structure of Cyberworlds", Proceeding of CW2007, October 24-27 2007 at the Leibnizhaus, Hannover, Germany, pp. 100-107, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California 90720-1314, U. S. A.

Abstract The mathematical structure of cyberworlds is clarified based on the duality of homology lifting property and homotopy extension property. The duality gives bottom-up and top-down methods to model, design and analyze the structure of cyberworlds. The set of homepages representing a cyberworld is transformed into a state finite machine. In development of the cyberworld, a sequence of finite state machines is obtained. This sequence has homotopic property. This property is clarified to map a finite state machine to a simplicial complex. Wikipedia, bottom-up network construction and top-down network analysis are described as examples.

3. Toshio Kodama , Tosiyasu L. Kunii and Yoichi Seki, Development of Unit Calculation Algebra as an Application Function of the Cellular Data System, Proceeding of CW2007, October 24-27 2007 at the Leibnizhaus, Hannover, Germany, pp.108-115, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California 90720-1314, U. S. A

Abstract Cyberworlds are information worlds where data and its dependencies are always changing and may evolve unpredictably, just like living things. Thus far, it has been difficult to model cyberworlds with higher freedom using the existing model because of its complexity. We believe that Incrementally Modular Abstraction Hierarchy (IMAH), which has an abstraction hierarchy preserving invariants from the abstract to the concrete level, and which was invented by one of the authors (T. L. Kunii), makes it possible. We have developed a data processing system called Cellular Data System (CDS) based on IMAH. With CDS, you can express any space, with forms or not, and attach or divide spaces by an equivalence relation to output information like you do in your head. In this paper we have designed and implemented wide-use algebra called unit calculation algebra on the presentation level in IMAH as an application function of CDS, and we have shown its effectiveness through examples.

Keywords: cyberworlds, incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy, formula expression, topological space, adjunction space, cellular space, presentation level

2. Toshio Kodama, Tosiyasu L. Kunii, and Yoichi Seki, "A New Method for Developing Business Applications: The Cellular Data System", Proceedings of International Conference on Cyberworlds, Lausanne, Switzerland, November 28-29, pp. 65-74, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U.S.A.

Abstract Currently, in the development of business applications, difficulties occasionally arise between the customer side and the supplier side, causing delays and higher development costs. To deal with this, we propose a new development method for business applications to validate them by invariant preservation based on equivalence relations. We have realized it by designing an algebraic expression called Formula Expression and applying the algebra to the design of each space in the cellular model. The system is called a Cellular Data System (CDS). It can become a common tool for both sides to make agreements efficiently in the future. Moreover, because you can manage data which has any form by using CDS, it is appropriate when dealing with data not only in business application development but in the Cyberworld where no data manager exists.

3. Tosiyasu L. Kunii and Kenji Ohmori, " Cyberworlds: Architecture and Modeling by an Incrementally Modular Abstraction Hierarchy ", The Visual Computer, Springer-Verlag, Vol. 22, No. 12, December 2006, pp.949-964.(revised and extended paper)

Abstract An incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy, which specifies, models and visualizes the architecture of cyberworlds from general to specific, is presented. The hierarchy, consisting of a homotopy level with fiber bundles, a set theoretical space level, a topological space level, an adjunction space level, a cellular space level, and presentation- and view-levels, is described theoretically with examples of online book shopping as e-commerce, seat assembling as e-manufacturing, and accounting as e-economy. Sharing invariants defined at each level contributes to robust architecture and modeling for designing, analyzing, implementing and visualizing cyberworlds, resulting in fault-free reduction in time and cost.

Keywords: cyberworlds, cyberspaces, incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy, algebraic topology, fiber bundles, homotopy, adjunction spaces, cellular spaces.

4. Kenji Ohmori and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, Proceedings of 9th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems, 12-16, June 2007, Funchal, Madeira ? Portugal, ISI ProceedingsSM, Thomson Reuters.(link to the paper)

Abstract The new methodology for software development is introduced and applied to an accounting system. The new method is called the incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy (IMAH). IMAH has an abstraction hierarchy from abstract to concrete levels. Invariants defined on an abstract level are kept on a concrete level, which allows adding modules incrementally on each hierarchical level and avoiding combinatorial explosion of the serious problem in software engineering, while climbing down abstraction hierarchy in designing and modeling a complex system. This paper shows how IMAH is applied in developing an accounting system, which is fundamental in enterprise systems and a suitable example of complex software systems. At first, very simple example recording only journal vouches to a database system is used to describe methodologies of IMAH. Then, it is described how this simple system is incrementally developed to a conventional complex accounting system.

5. Tomoyuki Nieda, Alexander Pasko, Tosiyasu L. Kunii, " Detection and classification of topological evolution for linear metamorphosis ", The Visual Computer, Springer-Verlag, Vol. 22, No. 5, May 2006, pp.346-356

Abstract The advantage of functional methods for shape metamorphosis is the automatic generation of intermediate shapes possible between the key shapes of different topology types. However, functional methods have a serious problem: shape interpolation is applied without topological information and thereby the time values of topological changes are not known. Thus, it is difficult to identify the time intervals for key frames of shape metamorphosis animation that faithfully visualize the topological evolution. Moreover, information on the types of topological changes is missing. To overcome the problem, we apply topological analysis to functional linear shape metamorphosis and classify the type of topological evolution by using a Hessian matrix. Our method is based on Morse theory and analyzes how the critical points appear. We classify the detected critical points into maximum point, minimum point, and saddle point types. Using the types of critical points, we can define the topological information for shape metamorphosis. We illustrate these methods using shape metamorphosis in 2D and 3D spaces.

Keywords: Critical point classification - Morse theory - Shape metamorphosis - Topological evolution

II. Invited papers in refereed publications

1. Tosiyasu L. Kunii and Kenji Ohmori, " A kaleidoscope as a cyberworld and its animation: Linear architecture and modeling based on an incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy", Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds published by John Wiley, July 5-7, 2006, pp. 145-153.

Abstract An incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy is known to effectively linearize cyberworlds and virtual worlds, which are combinatorially exploding and hardly managed. It climbs down from general level to specific model preserving the higher level modules as invariants. It not only prevents the combinatorial explosion but also benefits the reuse, development, testing and validation of cyberworld resources. By applying this incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy to a kaleidoscope animation, its architecture and modeling is also specified in this paper as a typical case of cyberworlds. In particular, a homotopy lifting property and a homotopy extension property, which satisfy a duality relation, are also described to show how a kaleidoscope world is systematically created top-down from the whole system and bottom-up from the components.

Keywords: homotopy lifting property; homotopy extension property; fiber bundle; adjunction space; cyberworld; kaleidoscope

2005 Publications (partial)

I. Refereed papers

1. G. Sawa, M. Osaki and T. L. Kunii, "Cyberlearning Model" , Proceedings of International Conference on Cyberworlds, November 23-25, Nanyang Executive Centre, Singapore , 2005, pp. 383-387, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U.S.A.

Abstract In the current information society, open source programs such as Linux have attracted considerable attention due to their widespread public and private use. Information technology-oriented firms tend to employ open source programs as a part of their business strategy, and as a result conventional business behaviors and customs have begun to break down. Such programs have hitherto been discussed and applied mainly in relation to software development, politics, economics and sociology, but they can be and should be investigated from educational aspects as means for reaching solutions to some of the problems affecting society from multiple aspects. In this paper therefore we explore the potentials of open source education from the view point of cyberworlds, adopting Incrementally Modular Abstraction Hierarchy. We propose here education models based on Incrementally Modular Abstraction Hierarchy as a potential contribution to the improvement and evolution of our society.

Keywords: Open Source, Cyberworlds, Web community chart, Open Source Education Model, Information Inertia

2. Masaya Osaki , Masaki Hiraga , Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "The fundamental research of cyberworlds: Social impacts of open-source education" , Proceedings of 35th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, The Westin Indianapolis, October 19-22, 2005.

Abstract We explore the potentials of open source education from the viewpoint of an axiomatic approach of cyberworlds adopting an approach to study "a basic 4 step reasoning" ; axiom, theorem, implementation and proof. The first step is finding the "four axioms of cyberworlds" No1: the power area size is in proposition to the information speed. No2: The power period is in inverse proportion to the information speed. No3: in the evolutionary power, borrowing and utilizing functions exceed owned functions. No4: the concept as an assumption "Information inertia". The second step is "theorem" formation as the prediction derived from the axioms. No1:nonlinearity and quality dominate the world power shift in the cyberworld era. No2: to enjoy sharing unlimited resources make the world stable by its co-operation processes. The third step is the "implementation" as "conceptual education-models" for producing global commons. The fourth step is the "proof" of the social impacts of "conceptual education-models" to make the open source movement succeed from the point of view of "network science". Steven Weber argued a set of general hypotheses as conclusion to succeed the open source. However he had paid less attention to an axiom, which is based on his argument. His argument is focused on the social organization of cooperation and production, not on the evolution of societies. In this paper we argued the potentials of open source style education to make the open source movement succeed. In using "conceptual education-models", we can prove two propositions. The first is that the open source style education is the most essential for the success of the open source movement. The second is that the success of the open source movement makes our society networked and digitized perfectly. We propose here "conceptual education-models" based on a "scale free network model" where the open source style education works efficiently as money did in the capitalistic market.

Keywords: axiom approach, cyberworlds, global commons, conceptual education-models, scale-free-networks

3. G. I. Pasko, A. A. Pasko and T. L. Kunii, "Bounded blending for function-based shape modeling", IEEE Computer Graphics and Application, vol. 25, No. 2, March/April 2005, pp.36-45.

Abstract We propose new analytical formulations of bounded blending operations for the function-based constructive shape modeling. The blending set operations are defined using R-function and displacement functions with the localized area of influence. The shape and location of the blend is defined by control points on the surfaces of two solids or by an additional arbitrary bounding solid also defined by a real-valued function. The proposed blending using a bounding solid can be applied to a single selected edge, a vertex, or another blend. We introduce new types of blends such as a multiple blend with the disconnected bounding solid and a partial edge blend. We show that the proposed operations can replace pure set-theoretic operations in the solid model without rebuilding the entire construction tree data structure. The proposed blending is shown to have versatile applications in interactive design. Influence of all parameters on the blend shape and location is illustrated.

Keywords: Geometric modeling shape, blending implicit surfaces, R-functions.

4. G. Pasko, A. Pasko, T. L. Kunii, "Ternary blending operations" ", Proceedings of European Workshop on Computational Geometry, March 9-11, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 2005, pp.143-145.

AbstractWe discuss new analytical formulations for localized and controllable blending operations in the function-based solid modeling. The blending set operations are defined using R-functions and displacement functions with the localized area of influence. The shape and location of the blend are controlled by an additional bounding solid thus turning the operation into a ternary one. We also describe a new approach to solving the problem of shapes metamorphosis between k-dimensional shapes by applying space-time bounded blending to the specially constructed (k+1)-dimensional half-cylinders and making cross-sections for getting intermediate shapes under the transformation.

II. Invited papers in refereed publications

1. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "The Genesis of "The Visual Computer" ", The Visual Computer, Springer-Verlag, Volume 21, Number 12/December 2005, pp. 958-960.

Abstract A brief archival and the future prospect of "The Visual Computer" and "The Visual Computer: An International Journal" are presented solely to foster future researches on the visual computer. It is still in its infancy, and the author's view is based on the own limited experiences, and hence is prone to mistakes.

Keywords: the visual computer, computer graphics, computer vision, visual data structures

2. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Cyberworld Modeling: Integrating Cyberworlds, the Real World and Conceptual Worlds ", CW2005 Keynote Paper, Proceedings of International Conference on Cyberworlds, , pp. 3-11,.IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U.S.A.

Abstract The globalization of the real world we live has been almost exploding in its speed and scale spatiotemporally in all the key aspects including business, economy, industry, education and culture, making it hard for human beings to cognize what's going on and deal with them . Thus the links between the real world and conceptual world is getting weaker. The globalization is mainly driven by the Web-based activities in their cyberspaces creating cyberworlds as seen in e-business, e-commerce, e-manufacturing and cultural heritages through the Web and on the Web. Thus the links between the real world and cyberworlds are ever becoming tighter nonlinearly in time and space. It is now crucial to find a way to automatically integrate the dynamically changing worlds, namely the real world, cyberworlds and conceptual worlds, fast enough to cope with the rapid changes. It is a hard task owing to the vast complexity of the worlds to be integrated, and it requires an advanced abstraction modeling. This is an interim progress report on it, presenting the outline based on the previous works on the abstraction hierarchy modeling of cyberworlds to realize an incrementally modular hierarchical modeling of cyberworlds via attaching spaces as quotient spaces and attaching maps. Attaching spaces are also for unique integration of the worlds that are real, cyber, and/or conceptual. They also guarantee liner interoperability of the integrated worlds to eliminate the combinatorial explosion of the computing in their complexity.

3. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Cyberworlds-Theory, Design and Potetial- ", The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, Vol.E88-D, No. 5, May, 2005, pp.790-800

Abstract Cyberworlds are being formed in cyberspaces as computational spaces. Now cyberspaces are rapidly expanding on the Web either intentionally or spotaneously, with or without design. Widespread and intensive local activities are melting each other on the Web globally to create cyberworlds. The major key players of cyberworlds include e-finaces that trades a GDP-equivalent a day and e-manufacturing that is transforming industrial production into Web shopping of product components and assembly factories. Lacking proper theory and design, cyberworlds have continued to grow chaotic and are now out of human understanding and control. This research first presents a generic theoretical framework and design based on algebraic topology, and also provides an axiomatic approach to theorize the potentials of cyberworlds.

4. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Towards Open Education Through Distributed and Networked Information Systems - An Experience-Based Approach - ?E Databases in Networked Information Systems, 4th International Workshop, DNIS 2005, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Japan, March 28-30, 2005, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 3433 Springer 2005, ISBN 3-540-25361-0, pp. 204-212.

Abstract To overcome overwhelming and global international struggles to secure limited resources such as oil and land, the potential role of open source education through networked and distributed information systems (DNIS) on hte Web to create advanced IT experts as unlimited global resources is increasing rapidly. An experience-based summary of global open education is presented solely for promoting its practices. My life has been benefited from practicing open education, first at an elementary school and later at a graduate school. The openness has been local because of the lack of globalization mechanisms in education. It is fairly recent that we have effective global educations mechanisms for global interactivity and global two way communications such as the web and cyberspaces, distributed and networked information systems(DNIS) in particular. Compared to local open education, global open education removes the boundaries of ages, organizations, nations, sexes, and disciplines. Many unseen barriers exist to prevent global open education, mostly originating from survival intuitions and fights embodied in life itself. Since the barriers are rooted in the nature of life, it is hard to practice global openness in education. Hence it is important to cooperate for us to practice it to see real advances in our knowlege.

1. G. Pasko, A. Pasko, and T. L. Kunii, "Bounded Blending for the Function-based Shape Modeling", IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, in press, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U.S.A.
Abstract We propose new analytical formulations of bounded blending operations for the function-based constructive shape modeling. The blending set operations are defined using R-functions and displacement functions with the localized area of influence. The shape and location of the blend is defined by control points on the surfaces of two solids or by an additional arbitrary bounding solid also defined by a real-valued function. The proposed blending using a bounding solid can be applied to a single selected edge, a vertex, or another blend. We introduce new types of blends such as a multiple blend with the disconnected bounding solid and a partial edge blend. We show that the proposed operations can replace pure set-theoretic operations in the solid model without rebuilding the entire construction tree data structure.The proposed blending is shown to have versatile applications in interactive design. Influence of all parameters on the blend shape and location is illustrated.
Keywords: Geometric modeling, shape, blending, implicit surfaces, R-functions

2. Tomoyuki Nieda, Alexander Pasko, and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Detection and Classification of Critical Points for Linear Metamorphos", Proceedings of International Conference on Cyberworlds, pp. 384-391, 18-20 November 2004, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U.S.A.

Abstract We apply topological analysis to functionally based shape metamorphosis. Functionally based methods have two problems: shape interpolation is applied without defining the topological information and the time moments of topological changes are not known. Thus, it is difficult to identify the time intervals for key frames of shape metamorphosis animation. Moreover, information on the types of the topological changes is missing. We present a method of the critical points detection based on the Morse theory and classification using the Hessian matrix for solving these problems. The defining function of the linear metamorphosis is treated as a height function. By analyzing how the critical points are changing at a particular height level, we detect the critical points of the metamorphosis process. The critical points can be used for ease in/ ease out effects in animation. In addition, we classify the detected critical points into maximum point, minimum point, and saddle point types. Using the type of the critical points and the sign of the function time derivative at the critical points, we can define the topological information for the shape metamorphosis. We illustrate these methods using shape metamorphosis in 2D and 3D spaces.
Keywords: Metamorphosis, critical points, classification, homotopy, Morse theory.

3. Benjamin Schmitt, Alexander Pasko, Galina Pasko, and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Rendering Trimmed Implicit Surfaces and Curves", Proceedings of Afrigraph 2004, November 3-5, 2004, pp. 7 - 14, Stellenbosch (Cape Town), South Africa, Organized by African Graphics Association (AFRIGRAPH), Sponsored by ACM SIGGRAPH.

Abstract Models of implicit surfaces and curves trimmed by a solid are discussed in the context of dimensionally heterogeneous object modeling. Both a carrier surface and a trimming solid are modeled using the function representation. Algorithms for polygonization of trimmed surfaces and curves, as well as raytracing of trimmed surfaces are described. Illustrative and CAD related examples are given.
Categories and Subject Descriptors I.3.3 [Picture Image Generation]: Viewing algorithms - Line and curve generation I.3.7 [Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism]: Raytracing
General Terms Algorithms.
Keywords Geometric modeling, Implicit surfaces, Trimming, Function representation, Polygonization, Ray-tracing

4. Norihiro Fujii, Shuichi Yukita, and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "An E-Learning System Based on the Top-Down Method and the Cellular Models", Journal of Distance Education Technologies, 2(4), pp. 77-93, Oct-Dec 2004.

Abstract As the broadband connectivity to the Internet becomes common, Web based e-learning and distance learning have come to play the central roles for self-learning, where learners are given much flexibility in choosing place and time to study. However, the learners still have to spend a lot of time before reaching the learning goal. This discourages the learners from continuing their studies and diminishes their motivation. To overcome this problem and to let the learners keep focusing on their primary interests, we propose a top-down e-learning system called TDeLS. The TDeLS can offer learners the learning materials based on the top-down (i.e., goal-oriented) method, according to the learners$B!G(B demands and purposes. Moreover, the TDeLS can distribute them to the learners through the Internet, and manage the database for learning materials. In order to share learning materials among learners through the Web, these learning materials are wrapped in XML with a specially designed vocabulary for TDeLS. We employed the cellular models that ensure the consistency among design modules and support a top-down design methodology. In this paper, we present the TDeLS for hardware logic design courses based on the cellular models. The primary goal is to design complex logic circuits in VerilogHDL, which is an industrial-standard hardware description language. This paper also presents the basic XML vocabulary designed to describe hardware modules efficiently, and a brief introduction to the structure and functions of the proposed system that implements the TDeLS.
Keywords: cellular models; cellular method; goal-oriented method; hardware description language; self-learning; Semantic Web; top-down e-Learning tools; top-down method; Verilog HDL; XML

5.G. Pasko, A. Pasko, and T. L. Kunii, ''Space-time Blending'', International Journal of Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 109-121,May, 2004.

Abstract Shape transformation between objects of different topology and positions in space is an open modeling problem. We propose a new approach to solving this problem for two given 2D or 3D shapes. The key steps of the proposed algorithm are: dimension increase by converting two input kD shapes into half-cylinders in (k+1)D space-time, applying bounded blending with added material to the half-cylinders, and making cross-sections for getting intermediate shapes under the transformation. The additional dimension is considered as time coordinate for making animation. We use the bounded blending set operations in space-time defined using R-functions and displacement functions with the localized area of influence applied to the functionally defined half-cylinders. The proposed approach is general enough to handle input shapes with arbitrary topology defined as polygonal objects with holes and disjoint components, set-theoretic objects, or analytically defined implicit surfaces. The obtained unusual amoeba-like behavior of the shape combines metamorphosis with the non-linear motion.

6. C. Vilbrandt , G. Pasko, A. Pasko, P.-A. Fayolle, T. Vilbrandt, J. R. Goodwin, J. M. Goodwin and T. L. Kunii^{,
"}Cultural Heritage Preservation Using Constructive Shape Modeling"?E Eurographics Forum, pp. 25-41, March, 2004.

Abstract Issues of digital preservation of shapes and internal structures of historical cultural objects are discussed. An overview of existing approaches to digital preservation related to shape modeling is presented and corresponding problems are considered. We propose a new digital preservation paradigm based on both constructive modeling reflecting the logical structure of the objectsand open standards and procedures. Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) and Function Representation (FRep) are examined and practically applied as mathematical representations producing compressed yet precise data structures, thus providing inter-operability between current and future computer platforms crucial to archiving. Examples of CSG reconstruction of historical temples and FRep modeling of traditional lacquer ware are given. We examine the application of fitting of a parameterized FRep model to a cloud of data points as a step towards automation of the modeling process. Virtual venues for public access to cultural heritage objects including real time interactive simulation of cultural heritage sites over the Web are discussed and illustrated.
Categories and Subject Descriptors (according ACM CSS): I.3.5 [Computer Graphics]: Computational Geometry and Object Modeling, Boundary representations, Constructive solid geometry (CSG), Curve, surface, solid, and object representations, Function representation, Modeling packages; I.3.6 [Computer Graphics]: Methodology and Techniques, Graphics data structures and data types, Languages, Standards; I.3.8 [Computer Graphics]: Applications ?Esimulation, digital preservation of cultural heritage

7. Tomoyuki Nieda, Alexander Pasko and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, ?Equot;Detection of Critical Points for Shape Metamorphosis Animation"?E Proceedings of 10^th International Multimedia Modeling Conference (MMM 2004), January 5-7, 2004, Brisbane, Australia, pp. 93-100, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U.S.A.

Abstract We apply topological analysis to functionally based shape metamorphosis. The time-dependent shape is defined using homotopy. The advantage of this method is the automatic generation of the intermediate shapes between the key shapes of different topology types. To complete the method, we have to find a way to automatically detect the critical points on the time axis while the shape undergoes topological changes. These critical points can be later used for generation of non-linear time steps distribution along the time axis, for example, for providing ease-in/ease-out effects in animation. We present a new method for analysis of shape metamorphosis based on the Morse theory, oriented to analysis of a height function. Although we analyze the shape in an N-dimensional space, the height function is defined in the N+2 dimensional space with N point coordinates and two additional coordinates of the defining function and time values. We can analyze how the critical points are changing in the given height level, which takes only zero value of the shape defining function. In this paper, we present this method in comparison with typical Morse theory analysis using simple objects in 2D and 3D spaces.
Keywords: Metamorphosis, critical points, homotopy, Morse theory.

8. G. Pasko, A. Pasko, M. Ikeda, and T. Kunii, ?Equot;Advanced Metamorphosis based on Bounded Space-time Blending"?E Proceedings of 10^thInternational Multimedia Modeling Conference (MMM 2004), January 5-7, 2004, Brisbane, Australia, pp. 211-217, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U.S.A.

Abstract We further develop a new approach to shape metamorphosis using bounded blending operations in space-time. The key steps of the metamorphosis algorithm are: dimension increase by converting two input kD shapes into half-cylinders in (k+1)D space-time, applying bounded blending union with added material to the half-cylinders, and making cross-sections for getting intermediate shapes under the transformation. This approach is extended here in two directions. First, the problem of gjump?Ein animation or the rapid transition between shapes in the given interval is solved using gsmoothed?E versions of half-cylinders which undergo bounded blending. Second, the analytical definition of metamorphosis is extended to 3D initial and final shapes with the bounded blending union operation applied to the corresponding gsmoothed?E4D space-time half-cylinders.

9. G. Pasko, A. Pasko, T. Nieda and T. Kunii, ?E"Space-time modeling and analysis" ?E Spring Conference on Computer Graphics SCCG 2004, Budmerice, Slovakia, April 22-24, 2004, pp. 13-20, ACM Computer Society (ISBN:1-58113-967-5)

Abstract In this survey, the problem of general type shape metamorphosis is considered as a typical space-time modeling operation. A new approach based on bounded blending of space-time half-cylinders is described. Detection and classification of critical points of shape topological changes on the time axis are presented. Examples in 2D and 3D spaces are given.

Keywords: Space-time, metamorphosis, bounded blending, function representation, implicit surfaces, critical points, topological analysis.

II. Invited papers in refereed publications

1. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "The Potentials of Cyberworlds -An Axiomatic Approach-", Proceedings of International Conference on Cyberworlds, 18-20 November 2004, pp. 2 - 7, Tokyo, Japan, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U. S. A.

Abstract Considering the increasingly large impacts and potentials of cyberworlds as seen in e-financing that trades GDP equivalent in a day, we human beings living in the real world are at the stage of needing to firmly identify the nature of cyberworlds. It is clear that if we continue to deal with cyberworlds as we have been, they grow chaotic beyond human understanding and control, endangering the real world. In an effort to make cyberworlds an academic discipline to overcome the critical situation, we axiomatize cyberworlds and then theorize them as Euclid did in identifying shapes in the real world.

2003 Publications (partial)

I. Refereed papers

1.Galina Pasko, Alexander Pasko, Makoto Ikeda and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "2D Shape Transformation Using 3D Blending, Proceedings of the 9^th International Conference on Multi-Media Modeling (MMM 2003), pp. 390-401, January 7-10, 2003,TamkangUniversity, Tamsui, Taipei, Taiwan (ISBN 957-9078-57-2).

Abstract Computer animation is one of the key components of a multimedia document or presentation. Shape transformation between objects of different topology and positions is an open modeling problem in computer animation. We propose a new approach to solving this problem for two given 2D shapes. The key steps of the proposed algorithm are: dimension increase by converting input 2D shapes into half-cylinders in 3D space, bounded blending with added material between the half-cylinders, and making cross-sections for getting frames of the animation. We use the bounded blending set operations defined using R-functions and displacement functions with the localized area of influence applied to the functionally defined 3D half-cylinders. The proposed approach is general enough to handle input shapes with arbitrary topology defined as polygons with holes and disjoint components, set-theoretic objects, or analytical implicit curves. The obtained unusual amoeba-like behavior of the 2D shape combines metamorphosis with the non-linear movement on the plane.

II. Invited papers in refereed publications

1. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Algebraic Topological Modeling for Cyberworld Design", Proceedings of International Conference on Cyberworlds,pp. xx-xxvi, 3-5 December 2003, Marina Mandarin Hotel, Singapore, IEEE Computer Society Press, LosAlamitos, California, U.S.A.

Abstract The diversity of cyberworlds makes it hard to see consistency in terms of invariants. The consistency requires for us to abstract the most essentials out of the diversity, and hence the most abstract mathematics. It has been true in science in general, and in the theory of universe in particular. What are the most essential invariants in modeling cyberworlds? A branch of the most abstract mathematics is topology. For topology to be computable, it has to be algebraic. So, the searches have been for over two decades in algebraic topology for cyberworld invariants. Equivalence relations define invariants at various abstraction levels. The paper solely serves as an initial summary of algebraic topological resources for studying cyberworlds starting from the very elementary set theoretical level. High social impact application cases of e-financing and e-manufacturing are presented at the end.

2. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, " What's Wrong with Wrapper Approaches in Modeling Information System Integration and Interoperability?", Proceedings of the 3rd International Workshop on Databases in Networked Information Systems: User Interactions and Web Based Services, (DNIS 2003), September 22-24, 2003, The University of Aizu, Japan, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Nadia Bianchi-Berthouze, Ed., pp. 86-96, Springer-Verlag, September, 2003.

Abstract Among the largest impact research themes at the time of world-wide recession, the key subject is how to cope with mega company formations and e-government (digital government) projects that depend on the successes of information system integration. The current information system integration approaches such as wrapper approaches basically create combinatorial interfacing and/or combinatorial data conversion making the integration practically impossible because of interfacing explosion and/or computational explosion. A linear approach to overcome the combinatorial explosion is presented and discussed.

3. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, Masumi Ibusuki, Galina I. Pasko, Alexander A. Pasko, Daisuke Terasaki, and Hiroshi Hanaizumi, "Modeling of Conceptual Multiresolution Analysis by an Incrementally Modular Abstraction Hierarchy", Transactions of Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, Vol. E86-D, No. 7, pp. 1181-1190, July 2003.

Abstract Recent advances of Web information systems such as e-commerce and e-learning have created very large but hidden demands on conceptual multiresolution analysis for more generalized information analysis, cognition and modeling. To meet the demands in a general way, its modeling is formulated based on modern algebraic topology. To be specific, the modeling formulation is worked out in an incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy with emphasis on the two levels of the hierarchy appropriate for conceptual modeling: the adjunction space level and the cellular structured space level. Examples are shown to demonstrate the usefulness of the presented model as well as an implementation of a flower structure case.
Key words: conceptual multiresolution analysis, adjunction spaces, cellular structured spaces, incrementally modular abstraction hierarchy, Web information systems

4.Rynson W. H. Lau, Frederick Li, Tosiyasu L. Kunii, Baining Guo, Bo Zhang, Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann, Sumedha Kshirsager, Daniel Thalmann, and Mario Gutierrez, "Emerging Web Graphics Standards and Technologies", IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, pp. 66-75, January/February, 2003,IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U.S.A.

Abstract Migrating computer graphics to the Web poses several problems, but with new standards and technology advances, graphics applications can balance latency and bandwidth constraints with image quality.

I. Refereed papers

1.Valery Adzhiev, Elena Kartasheva, Tosiyasu L. Kunii, Alexander Pasko and Benjamin Schmitt, "Hybrid Cellular-functional Modeling of Heterogeneous Objects", Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering, pp. 312-322, December, 2002, Computers and Information in Engineering Division of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) and ACM,ASME Technical Publishing, Three Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Abstract An approach to modeling heterogeneous objects as multidimensional point sets with multiple attributes (hypervolumes) is presented. Attributes given at each point represent object properties of arbitrary nature (material, physical, etc.). A proposed theoretical framework is based on a hybrid model of geometry and attributes combining a cellular representation and a functionally based constructive representation of dimensionally non-homogeneous entities. Hypervolume model components such as objects, operations and relations are introduced and outlined. We present examples of modeling a multi-layer geological structure with cavities and wells, time-dependent adaptive mesh generation, and conversion of a 3D implicit complex to the cellular representation.
Keywords Multidimensional point sets, attributes, heterogeneous models, function representation, cellular representation, volume modeling

2. Masayuki Hisada, Alexander G. Belyaev, Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "A Skeleton-based Approach for Detection of Perceptually Salient Features on Polygonal Surfaces", Computer Graphics Forum, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 1-12, 2002.

Abstract The paper presents a skeleton-based approach for robust detection of perceptually salient shape features. Given a shape approximated by a polygonal surface, its skeleton is extracted using a three-dimensional Voronoi dia-gram technique proposed recently by Amenta et al. 3 . Shape creases, ridges and ravines, are detected as curves corresponding to skeletal edges. Salient shape regions are extracted via skeleton decomposition into patches. The approach explores the singularity theory for ridge and ravine detection, combines several filtering methods for skeleton denoising and for selecting perceptually important ridges and ravines, and uses a topological analysis of the skeleton for detection of salient shape regions.

3.Pizzanu Kanongchaiyos, Tomoyuki Nishita, Yoshihisa Shinagawa, and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Topological Morphing Using Reeb Graphs", Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Cyber Worlds (CW2002), November 6-8 2002 Tokyo, Japan, pp.. 465-471, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, November 2002.

Abstract Metamorphosis between 3D objects is often the transformation between a pair of shapes that have the same topology. This paper presents a new model using Reeb graphs and their contours to create morphing between 3D objects having different topology. The proposed method specifies the correspondence between of the input objects by using the graph isomorphic theory. Then the super Reeb graph, which has the equivalent topological information to the Reeb graphs of the two input objects, is constructed and used to conduct the sequence of the morphing. The evolutions of the topology that occur during the morph can be specified by the transformation of the Reeb graphs and their contours of the input objects. Reeb graph-based modeling allows the users precisely and intuitively control the morph because the topological information of the objects, represented by the structures of the Reeb graphs, is explicit and easy to understand. Moreover, the contours of the Reeb graphs also represent the geometrical information of the objects. The examples of morphing between different topological shapes are demonstrated.
Keywords: 3D morphing, topological evolutions, Reeb graphs

4.Kazuteru Matsumoto, and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "A Cellular Design System for Soft- and Varied Sized- Objects",Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Cyber Worlds (CW2002), November 6-8 2002 Tokyo, Japan, pp. 386-393, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, November 2002.

Abstract After we sketch the design of a product on the Web, we can obtain each part of the product applying a cell decomposition to the sketched design based on the cellular model operations and then applying the homotopy theory to it. When we perform cell decomposition, we can specify the manufacturing procedures of a product as homotopy invariants based on the homotopy theory. Using the parts and the manufacturing procedures of a product, and cell attaching functions accumulated in the cellular design database while these procedures are applied, we show first that we can perform the real design of soft objects, the shapes of which are constantly changing. We then show that the cellular model also can uniformly specify varied sizes. Thus, the cellular model is far more powerful than existing geometric models. The design of bags is taken as an example of soft object and varied sized object design.
Key words and phrases soft object design, varied sized object design, a cellular model, a cell decomposition, homotopy theory, a cellular design database, cell attaching functions.

5.Valery Adzhiev, Elena Katasheva, Tosiyasu L. Kunii, Alexander Pasko and Benjamin Schmitt, "Cellular-Functional Modeling of Heterogeneous Objects", Proceedings of 7th ACM Symposium on Solid Modeling and Applications, June 17-21, 2002, pp. 192-203, ACM Press, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY, 10036, USA.

Abstract The paper presents an approach to modeling heterogeneous objects as multidimensional point sets with multiple attributes(hypervolumes). A theoretical framework is based on a hybridmodel of hypervolumes combining a cellular representation and aconstructive representation using real-valued functions. Thismodel allows for independent but unifying representation ofgeometry and attributes, and makes it possible to represent dimensionally non-homogeneous entities and their cellulardecompositions. Hypervolume model components such as objects,operations and relations are introduced and outlined. The framework's inherent multidimensionality allowing, in particular,to deal naturally with time dependence promises to modelcomplex dynamic objects composed of different. Attributes givenat each point can represent properties of arbitrary nature (material,photometric, physical, statistical, etc.). To demonstrate aparticular application of the proposed framework, we present anexample of multimaterial modeling ? the multilayer geologicalstructure with cavities and wells. Another example illustrating thetreatment of attributes other than material distributions isconcerned with time-dependent adaptive mesh generation wherethe function representation is used to describe object geometryand density of elements in the cellular model of the mesh. Theexamples have been implemented with using a specializedmodeling language and software tools being developed by theauthors.
KeywordsMultidimensional point sets, attributes, heterogeneous models,function representation, cellular representation, volume modeling.

6. Kitani Noriko and Tosiyasu L. Kunii,"Web-based Design Databases ", Proceedings of NICOGRAPH International 2002, May 30, 2002, Tokyo, Japan, pp.103-114, The Society for Art and Science, May 2002.

Abstract A new flexible and well-defined method was developed to turn objects in the real world, designed to satisfy users' taste, into reusable design resources on the Web by virtually decomposing the original design into parts. We show that we can repeat design processes efficiently by storing the information on part cell attachment as design information as well as by making the cell design processes of the parts homotopically equivalent. We then show the possibility of a new architecture of Web-based design databases management systems to support flexible design and redesign. To demonstrate the power of the new method, bag design is selected as an example.
Key Words and Phrases: Web-based design databases, cell model, cell attachment, cell decomposition, homotopy equivalence, redesign.

7.Yoshihisa Shinagawa, Ryoji Kawamichi, Tosiyasu L. Kunii and Shegeru Ohwada, "Developing Surfaces ", Proceedings of the International Conference on Shape Modeling and Applications, May 17-22, 2002, Banff, Canada, pp.253-260, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, May 2002.

Abstract To transform a three-dimensional object or to map texture to its surface, it is necessary to introduce a coordinate system. If the surface can be cut and developed, it is easy to identify each point on the surface with the coordinate values. According to a theory in topology, any closed polygonalized two-dimensional surface can be represented by a canonical development. However, no efficient algorithm to actually develop a given surface has been presented, and theory sounds abstract. This paper proposes a method to develop an arbitrary polygonal closed surface and to establish the correspondence between each point on the surface and a point on a regular polygon. Educational software is developed using the algorithm that visualizes the coordinate system by texture mapping or by allowing a user to paint on the surface.
Keywords development, algebraic topology, groups, homology, texture mapping, transformation.

8. Galina Pasko, Alexander Pasko, Makoto Ikeda and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Bound Blending Operations", Proceedings of the International Conference on Shape Modeling and Applications, May 17-22, 2002, Banff, Canada}, pp.95-103, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, May 2002.

Abstract New analytical formulations of bounded blending for functionally defined set-theoretic operations are proposed. The blending set operations are defined using R-functions and displacement functions with localized area of influence. The shape and location of the blend is defined by control points on the surfaces of two solids or by an additional bounding solid. The proposed blending using a bounding solid can be applied to a single selected edge or vertex. We introduce new types of blends such as a multiple blend with the disconnected bounding solid and a partial edge blend.

9. Masayuki Hisada, Alexander G. Belyaev, and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Towards a singularity-based shape language: ridges, ravines, and skeletons for polygonal surfaces", Soft Computing, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2002, pp. 45-52, Springer-Verlag, Heidelber, Germany.

Abstract High demands on digital contents have posing strong needs on visual languages on three-dimensional (3D) shapes for improved human communication. For a visual language to effectively communicate essential 3D shape information, shape features defined in terms of singularity signs have been recognized as key shape descriptors. In this paper, we study salient shape features defined via distance function singularities: ridges, ravines, and a skeleton. We propose a method for robust extraction of the 3D skeleton of a polygonal surface and detection of salient surface features, ridges and ravines, corresponding to the skeletal edges. The method adapts the three-dimensional Voronoi diagram technique for skeleton extraction, explores singularity theory for ridge and ravine detection, and combines several filtering methods for skeleton denoising and for selecting perceptually salient ridges and ravines. We demonstrate that the ridges and ravines convey important shape information and, in particular, can be used for face recognition purposes.
Keywords Polygonal surface, 3D Voronoi diagram, Skeleton, Ridges and ravines

10.Galina Pasko, Alexander Pasko, Makoto Ikeda and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Localized Blending for Exact Control of Shapes", International Journal of Shape Modeling, Volume 8, No. 2, pp.159-172, December 2002, World Scientific, Singapore.

Abstract Blending of two shapes generates a smooth transition between them by adding or removing material. In this work, new analytical formulations of localized blending for functionally defined set-theoretic operations are proposed. The blending set operations are defined using R-functions and displacement functions with the localized area influence. An additional blending solid defines the shape and the location of the blend. The proposed bound blending can be applied to a single selected feature of a shape (corner, edge, and others). We introduce new types of blend such as a multiple blend with disconnected bounding solid and a partial edge blend. It is shown to have versatile applications in interactive design. We also describe the applications of the bound blending to the 2D shape transformation problem we encounter in animation.
Keywordsblending, function representation, R-functions, metamorphosis

II. Invited papers in refereed publications

1. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Web Information Modeling", Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Databases in Networked Information Systems (DNIS 2002) (December 16-18, 2002, Aizu, Japan), pp. 58-63, Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS), Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg.

Abstract.The nature of Web information is clarified and modeled as the adjunction space model.. Practical Web information management requires Web information to be modeled in such a way that the model captures the dynamic changes, present the dynamism visually, and validate the results formally. As the mathematical ground of the model, we have adopted algebraic topology, cellular spatial structures in the homotopic framework and adjunction spaces in particular. The results have been applied successfully to typical Web information systems such e-finance and e-manufacturing to validate the advantages of our Web information modeling over the popular relational model, the entity relationship model, UML, and XML.

3. Toshio Kodama and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Homotopic Database Animation", Proceedings of Computer Animation 2002 (June 19-21, 2002, Geneva, Switzerland) pp. 89-97 (IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U. S. A.).

Abstract Very large databases on the Web have been changing dynamically and have become complicated today. This research aims at helping users' understanding of database changes by database animation. As a case study, animating budget management of one company is researched. It shows clearly that database animation help understand the flow of plans and the distribution of the whole budget. Furthermore, it has shown that reverse animation by preserved homotopy realizes the effective reuse of databases.
Keywords: database animation, cellular databases, homotopic animation, homotopy, cellular model.

1. Kenji Ohmori and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Shape Modeling Using Homotopy", Proceedings of International Conference on Shape Modeling and Applications 2001 (SMI 2001), Genoa, Italy, May 7-11, 2001, pp. 126-133, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, May 2001.

Abstract We introduce a new method of shape modeling using homotopy and object-oriented modeling. Homotopy is a kind of topology that gives more general ideas of preserving invariant properties of geometrical objects and is further expanded to conceptual objects. The conventional shape modeling using polygonalization has serious difficulties in preserving invariant properties, leading to the necessity of a massive amount of data. On the other hand, the combination of homotopy and object-oriented modeling, which uses class hierarchy, help preserve invariant properties at all abstraction levels. We will explain how our new method will help us preserve invariant properties, which keeps the amount of data to the minimum possible level, using an example of a tennis ball rolling on a slope.
Keywords: homotopy model, cellular spatial structures, filtration.

2. Taku Komura, Yoshihisa Shinagawa and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Motion Conversion Based on the Musculoskeltal System", Proceedings of Graphics Interface 2001, June 7 - 9, 2001, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, pp.27-36.

Abstract Inverse kinematics is one of the most popular method in computer graphics to control 3D multi-joint characters. In this paper, we propose an inverse kinematics algorithm that takes the characteristics of human bodies into account. The mausculoskeletal model is used to solve the redundancy of the human body. Using our method, feasible human body motion can be obtained simply by specifying the motion of several end effectors or body segments. Since muscle dynamics is taken into account, the configuration space of the human body is automatically calculated, and unrealistic postures can be avoided, it is also possible to tune the motion by changing the external load applied to the muscles. Using our method, the amount of work by the animators is reduced to create natural human animation.

3. Masayuki Hisada and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Implementation of Object Attachments by Cellular Modeling", Proceedings of CG International 2001, July 3-6, 2001, Hong Kong, pp.159-166, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, July 2001

Abstract We research the defects of geometric modeling in representing object attachments. It is difficult to represent different types of object attachments such as gluing or fusing in current computer graphics. We consider two types of different attachments such that an object is put on the top of another object, and an object is fused to the top of another object. To represent the relationships of object attachments, we assume a hypothesis such that we can represent the information of object attachments in computer graphics based on the cellular models, and consider the real implementation in computer graphics for proving that the cellular model of object attachments meets the hypothesis. The results of our research are expected to influence major applications including computer integrated manufacturing (CIM).

4. Taku Komura, Yoshihisa Shinagawa and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "An Inverse Kinematics Method Based on Muscle Dynamics", Proceedings of CG International 2001, July 3-6, 2001, Hong Kong, pp.15-22, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, July 2001.

5. Masaki Hilaga, Yoshihisa Shinagawa, Taku Kohmura, and Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Topology Matching for Fully Automatic Similarity Estimation of 3D Shapes", Proceedings of SIGRAPH 2001, August 12-17, 2001, Los Angels, USA, pp.203-212, ACM Press, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY, 10036, USA, August, 2001.

Abstract There is a growing need to be able to accurately and efficiently search visual data sets, and in particular, 3D shape data sets. This paper proposes a novel technique, called Topology Matching,in which similarity between polyhedral models is quickly, accurately, and automatically calculated by comparing Multiresolutional Reeb Graphs (MRGs). The MRG thus operates well as a search key for 3D shape data sets. In particular, the MRG represents the skeletal and topological structure of a 3D shape at various levels of resolution. The MRG is constructed using a continuous function on the 3D shape, which may preferably be a function of geodesic distance because this function is invariant to translation and rotation and is also robust against changes in connectivities caused by a mesh sim-plification or subdivision. The similarity calculation between 3D shapes is processed using a coarse-to-fine strategy while preserving the consistency of the graph structures, which results in establish-ing a correspondence between the parts of objects. The similarity calculation is fast and efficient because it is not necessary to de-termine the particular pose of a 3D shape, such as a rotation, in advance. Topology Matching is particularly useful for interactively searching for a 3D object because the results of the search fit human intuition well.

6. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, Gleb V.Nosovskij and Vladimir L. Vecherlinin, "Two-Dimensional Diffusion Model For Diffuse Ink Painting", International Journal of Shape Modeling, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2001}, pp. 45-58, World Scientific Publishing Company, Singapore.

Abstract In our previous work the multidimensional diffusion model for computer animation of diffuse ink painting was suggested. The model, which we proposed, provided the intensity distributions very similar to those in real images. In the previous paper, only few calculations in the case of a circle as an initial zone were presented. Now we modify the model and present the results of more accurate calculations for an initial zone of arbitrary shape.

Keywords: Multidimensional diffusion processes, Colloidal liquid, Computer animation.

1. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Practicing Global Openness in Education: From Elementary Schools to Graduate Schools", Proceedings of Digital and Academic Liberty of Information (dali 2001), March 26-29, 2001, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Japan.

Abstract An experience-based summary of global open education is presented solely for promoting its practices. My life has been benefited from practicing open education, first at an elementary school and later at a graduate school. The openness has been local because of the lack of globalization mechanisms in education. It is fairly recent that we have effective global educations mechanisms for global interactivity and global two way communications such as the web and cyberspaces. Compared to local open education, global open education removes the boundaries of ages, organizations, nations, sexes, and disciplines. Many unseen barriers exist to prevent global open education, mostly originating from survival intuitions and fights embodied in life itself. Since the barriers are rooted in the nature of life, it is hard to practice global openness in education. Hence it is important to cooperate for us to practice it to see real advances in our knowledge.

2. Tosiyasu L. Kunii, "Topological Graphics", Proceedings of Spring Conference on Computer Graphics 2001 (SCCG 2001), (April 26-28, 2001, Budmerice Castle, Slovak Republic), pp. 2-9, (IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U. S. A.).

Abstract Topological graphics opens up completely new worlds in computer graphics applications. It is supported by advances in modern algebraic topology: homotopy theory and cellular spatial structures in particular. Topological graphics lays out the framework to interactive construct cyberworlds emerging on the web. It guides graphics software design to make it minimal and reusable. This progress report on our own frontier researches gives abundant of examples as well as the brief summary of the theoretical foundation.

Key words and phrases: web graphics, homotopy, algebraic topology, differential topology, a cellular model, cellular spatial structures, a cyberworld model.

The following a keynote paper on global openness in education at dali 2001 at the University of Aizu in 2001. The promised proceedings has not yet been published. So I post it here to publish it personally.

Practicing Global Openness in Education: From Elementary Schools to Graduate Schools

An experience-based summary of global open education is presented solely for promoting its practices. My life has been benefited from practicing open education, first at an elementary school and later at a graduate school. The openness has been local because of the lack of globalization mechanisms in education. It is fairly recent that we have effective global educations mechanisms for global interactivity and global two way communications such as the web and cyberspaces. Compared to local open education, global open education removes the boundaries of ages, organizations, nations, sexes, and disciplines. Many unseen barriers exist to prevent global open education, mostly originating from survival intuitions and fights embodied in life itself. Since the barriers are rooted in the nature of life, it is hard to practice global openness in education. Hence it is important to cooperate for us to practice it to see real advances in our knowledge.

dali2001reprint.pdf

TOSIYASU L. KUNII, one of Japan's most prolific and outspoken computer scientists, says there is a reason that Japanese companies do not design successful computer operating systems or original microprocessors. Japan's education system, he says, churns out uncreative graduates.

Others have made similar observations, but Professor Kunii is doing something about it. He quit his job at the prestigious Tokyo University to start his own computer college.

The University of Aizu, which opened its doors in April 1993, has only about 500 students and two main departments hardware and software. It is in the middle of nowhere, three hours by train from Tokyo. But it could serve as a model for the reform of higher education in Japan.

While most Japanese universities have predominantly Japanese faculties, Aizu has professors from 14 foreign countries who account for about 60 percent of the teaching staff. This includes 16 Russians, so many that Fujitsu Ltd. declined to give the university access to one of its supercomputers because it feared violating restrictions on providing technology to what was once the Soviet Union.

Classes are taught mainly in English to prepare students to work in an international language. And students are encouraged to do individual research as freshmen, not wait until they are juniors or seniors.

It may be Japan's most electronically equipped school, with about 700 engineering workstations, enough to provide one to each student. Most of the computers are American, mainly from Sun Microsystems.

None of this would seem radical in the United States. But in Japan, "it's completely different from anything that's ever been done," said David K Kahaner, who watches technology in Japan for Washington.

But change has not been easy. While there is some camaraderie and a pioneering spirit, there is also unhappiness. Some Japanese faculty members are upset with Professor Kunii, who is president of the university, for departing from tradition. Some Western professors complain that the administration has not departed enough.

Professor Kunii, a chemist by training, drifted into computers and became one of Japan's foremost experts on data bases and graphics. At Tokyo University, he helped start the information science department.

Ideas flow from the 56 year old professor all directions, so it is hard to keep him focused. Unlike many Japanese, Professor Kunii is not modest or indirect..

The formation of the University of Aizu comes as Japan is trying to improve higher education. Until now, the system had been charged with producing an educated work force.

"The job of Japanese universities is to import knowledge, translate and disseminate it," Professor Kunii said. "Professors don't need to discover anything. It's a very easy life." But with Japan now roughly on a par with the United States and Europe, there is a growing recognition that Japan must do more pioneering research.

While an American university will try to attract the best faculty members from around the world, the staff of a typical Japanese college is almost exclusively Japanese. There are only 279 foreigners out of 40,000 fulltime professors, associate professors and lecturers at nearly 100 universities supported by the Government.

The problem for computer education, Professor Kunii said, is that in Japan computer science is not recognized as a discipline. As a result he said, Japan produces only 30 Ph.D.'s a year in pure computer science.

The University of Aizu began as a project of the prefecture, Japan's equivalent of a state, to spur economic development. Professor Kunii was recruited to serve on the planning committee for the university and later drafted to be its president. One reason so many foreign professors came here was that it was difficult to recruit Japanese academics for an unproven university. In a land of lifetime employment, many Japanese professors did not like Professor Kunii's notion that all faculty members would undergo a review for tenure after three years.

Among the foreign professors there is "enough dissatisfaction to be perceptible," said Harvey Abramson, a professor of software who previously taught at the University of British Columbia in Canada. In a Western university, he added, the faculty has a large say in how things are run. But at Aizu, the power rests with the bureaucrats from the Fukushima Prefecture Government.

Professor Abramson said that Professor Kunii, despite his wish to be a reformer, "seems hamstrung by the way things have been done here."

The Aizu faculty is doing some innovative research. Most of the Russian teachers, for instance, are leaders in the development of self timed computers, in which the components are not synchronized by a centralized clock. This new design could allow for faster operation and lower power consumption.

But many challenges must still be overcome if Aizu is to have an impact on computer science training in Japan. So far has only freshmen and sophomores. Without graduate students, it is hard for professors to do research. There are plans for a graduate school, but not for several years.

And while the prefectural government is providing research financing for three years, thereafter the professors will have to fend for themselves.

Its big draw seems to be its computers. Hachiro Meguro, a freshman, said he chose Aizu because he heard that each student would have access to a workstation 24 hours a day.

He and the others students of whom 90 percent are male often work on computers until early in the morning or on weekends, just as computer neads do in the United States. That could be the best sign yet that more creative Japanese programmers are on the way.

Recent works:

To read the papers often the following the mathematical fonts are required:

The Keynote Paper of 1999 International Symposium on Database Applications in -Traditional Environments (DANTE'99), November 28-30,1999, Heian Shrine, Kyoto, Japan, Organized by Research Project on Advanced Databases,in cooperation with Information Processing Society of Japan, ACM Japan, ACM SIGMOD Japan, pp. 19-24, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California, U. S. A.