A contract algorithm is an algorithm which is given, as part of the input, a specified amount of allowable computation time. The algorithm must then complete its execution within the allotted time. An interruptible algorithm, in contrast, can be interrupted at an arbitrary point in time, at which point it must report its currently best solution. It is known that contract algorithms can simulate...

Dynamic energy pricing is a promising development that addresses the concern of finding an environmentally friendly solution to meeting energy needs of customers while minimizing their electrical energy bill. In this paper, we mathematically formulate the electrical energy bill minimization problem for cooperative networked consumers who have a single energy bill, such as those working in a com...

Existing n-process implementations of atomic snapshots from registers use large registers. We consider the problem of implementing an m-component snapshot from small, Θ(log n)-bit registers. A natural solution is to consider simulating the large registers. Doing so straightforwardly can significantly increase the step complexity. We introduce the notion of an interruptible read and show how it ...

This paper presents SELFPLANNER, a deployed web-based intelligent calendar application that helps a user schedule in time and space her individual tasks. Contrary to other intelligent calendar assistants that concentrate on automating meeting scheduling, SELFPLANNER emphasizes on scheduling individual tasks and events, leaving meeting arrangement for external handling. The two key features of S...

Abstract: In this paper, the problem of minimizing electricity cost and the peak system load in smart grids with distributed renewable energy resources is studied. Unlike prior research works that either assume all of the jobs are interruptible or power-shiftable, this paper focuses on more challenging scenarios in which jobs are non-interruptible and non-power-shiftable. In addition, as more a...