We propose a general framework of secrecy and preservation of secrecy for labeled transition systems. Our definition of secrecy is parameterized by the distinguishing power of the observer, the properties to be kept secret, and the executions of interest, and captures a multitude of definitions in the literature. We define a notion of secrecy preserving refinement between systems by strengtheni...

To fully understand processes of knowing and knowledge acquisition, it is necessary to examine people's understanding of their own knowing. Individual and developmental differences in what it means to know something, and hence in the criteria for justifying knowledge claims, have potentially wide-ranging implications. In providing support for a claim, young children have difficulty differentiat...

Epistemology is traditionally classified as one of the fields of philosophy, and some psychologists have been content to leave it to the philosophers. In my opinion, the problem of how we know is an absolutely basic concern of psychology, but whether you consider my remarks to be psychology or philosophy I really do not care, as long as you are willing to grant me that the problem is a fundamen...

We know that every improvement is a change—but how do we know that a change is an improvement? Improvement experts and patients, each in their own terms, ask this question with appropriate impatience. 3 For example, how can valid conclusions be drawn when an improvement initiative employs no control population, or if the study employs predominantly qualitative measures? Indeed, some argue that ...

Husband is the senior advisor for root cause analyses in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Peformance Assessments and Root Cause Analyses. He is a retired Air Force officer with a doctorate in chemical engineering from Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He is grateful to Gary Bliss, Bob Jennings, Mike Ginter, John Mueller and Ed Mc...

We study how firms can use a knowledge management system to optimally leverage employeegenerated know-how. In particular, we consider the following practical strategic questions for the manager of a knowledge-intensive firm: should her firm develop a formal knowledge system? And if so, how should it be managed, particularly in terms of what information to record? We find that firms benefit more...

We show that the secrecy function conjecture that states that the maximum of the secrecy function of an l-modular lattice occurs at 1/ √ l is false, by proving that the 4-modular lattice C = Z⊕ √ 2Z⊕ 2Z fails to satisfy this conjecture. We also indicate how the secrecy function must be modified in the l-modular case to have a more reasonable chance for it to have a maximum at 1/ √ l, and show t...