Modern Information Technology and IT Education

The article provides us with an analytical overview of the current state (the beginning of 2018) of the curriculum system for undergraduate and graduate programs in computing (computing is the academic name of the field of Information Technology or IT), inter alia it considers: definition of the concept of curriculum, modern architecture of the curriculum system, construction principles and content of relevant curricula of the last decade, including the following documents: CC2005, CS2013, CE2016, SE2014, GSwE2009, IS2010, MSIS2016, IT2017, CSEC2017. The article provides a comparative analysis of curricula in terms of methodological solutions in describing educational content and learning objectives, highlighting the minimum required part of the curriculum knowledge (core), composition and methods of using didactic parameters for describing pedagogical emphasis on curricula and learning outcomes. The article will be useful for methodologists-developers of curricula and educational standards, in particular for comparing the domestic educational regulatory and methodological base with international experience in standardizing curricula in the field of training IT personnel. The information presented in the article can also be useful to students and graduate students to understand the international structure of the methodological foundations of the modern IT education system.

In the article the author substantiates the importance of the approach of project thinking in the training and education of future professionals for the digital economy. Development of entrepreneurial abilities, creative thinking, ability to work in a project team, to make decisions in unusual situations - all these important competencies must be obtained during the training of students at the University. The article presents the experience of design seminars, especially the use of popular tools of design thinking to create projects of Internet entrepreneurship, recommendations for the introduction of the approach of design thinking (DT) in engineering education. The author describes in detail one of his cases “Search for sources of ideas”. DT can redirect from the usual ways of judgment about the object to the unconventional solution. They help develop an innovation that is based on empathy for the pain of the consumer, including one that is still unconscious to prevent his hidden needs and create a breakthrough product for him. It is important to learn how to accept even the most ridiculous at first glance the ideas of their colleagues, which can trigger your best idea. In the case we used tools of design thinking, such as random stimulus technique, the technique of personal ideas, World café, “good and bad ideas”, etc. Each point of the case contains comments on how the new idea was developed, what difficulties arose with this or that tool, what ways we found to get the team out of the deadlocks.

The article deals with the possibilities of information-communication technologies (ICT) for the process of aesthetic education of future specialists teaching natural sciences, including mathematics. This paper makes a compelling case for the inclusion of the aesthetic in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Using a provocative set of philosophical, psychological, mathematical, technological, and educational insights, illuminates how the materials and approaches we use in the mathematics classroom can be enriched for the benefit of all learners. In this paper offered specific recommendations to help teachers evoke and nurture their students’ aesthetic abilities, includes examples of mathematical inquiry in a software-based learning environments, revealing some of the roles they play in supporting students’ aesthetic inclinations. The result ours research electronic textbook “Mathematics” allows fully opens up all intellectual and creative opportunities for future experts, develops their imagination and broadens their horizons in the use of innovative computer technologies. The experimental design provides a basis for understanding whether software products improve achievement. While the study worked to ensure that teachers received appropriate training on using products and that technology infrastructures were adequate and that teachers would like to use electronic textbook “Mathematics” more or use them differently. Because of this feature of the study, the results relate to conditions of use that high schools would face if they were developing the electronic textbook “Mathematics” or provide the software service using internal resources products on their own.

In this paper, we consider the design of anticipatory activities aimed at development of students creativity at a higher education institution when studying holomorphic dynamics. Interpretation of anticipation as an ability to put forward hypotheses, that are subject to verification by means of analytical methods, has been specified. The connection between Mandelbrot set and the accompanying Julia sets has been noted. Using information and communication technologies, students put forward hypotheses related to Julia sets’ visualisation, and then use the analytical methods to identify the main frames of these sets. First, special cases are considered, then the obtained results are generalised. By analogy, other tasks are formed and their solutions are analysed. In our opinion, this approach makes it possible to organise students’ creative mathematical activity, develops their intuition, flexibility and critical thinking.

One of the most important factors for improving the quality of education and the successful achievement of modern educational results is the use of innovative forms and means of education in the educational process. The work notes that fundamentally new educational results, relevant to the needs of the modern education system, can be achieved only by new educational activities and support of new types of educational activities of subjects of education. Interaction of subjects of education in information and educational environment is a feature of contemporary training prosses.Being a social and cultural phenomenon, Internet-, Web-, Smart- technologies as a result of the development of information and communication technology, are becoming increasingly significant in modern information society changes, have a huge impact on the formation and development of the information and educational space. In this regard, the article deals with qualitative changes in education in the information society under the influence of modern information and communication technologies, media technologies, SMART technologies.The phenomenon of media culture (personal media culture of a subject of education) is relatively new for the analysis of cultural aspects of the information society in the information digital era and the range of discussion issues goes well beyond this paper. However, it should be emphasized that the influence of media culture leads to the formation of a particular type of mass consciousness in society - mass media consciousness. In this perspective, the issues of the formation of modern media culture, the awareness of which will help to preserve humanistic ideals in the age of digital technology, are outlined. All these circumstances encouraged the authors to express their opinion in this paper and discuss issues related to the expansion of educational opportunities and the didactic potential of information technologies and the degree of their impact on goals and quality of education, educational activities of subjects of education.

The approach to the formation of a multidimensional digital model of the learning environment using the mathematical unit of differential equations of the first order, implemented on the system of systems principle is considered. It is shown that within the framework of digitalization of the main components of this environment, bifurcation analysis can be carried out to detect fuzzy and under-defined learning results that do not depend directly on either the teachers or the learner. In other words, it has been found the source of the strange attractors of the learning environment as a complex nonlinear open system, which essentially depends on the initial conditions. Such situations may arise while simultaneous using old, well-established teaching methods and some new digital tools to form knowledge of learners. The results of modeling of such situations are discussed, approaches to neutralize this kind of fuzziness are considered.

The report considers the task of organizing a set of competencies defined by the FSES HE, the University, as well as the employer. This approach makes it possible to consider the needs of key stakeholders in the training of young professionals. Various purposefully formed categories of competencies are considered as a multidimensional complex, and each aspect is represented by attributes, as well as their qualitative and quantitative values. The General architecture of the complex of competencies is formed in the form of a tree of competencies, isostructural corresponding to the tree of content of the discipline. To solve this problem, we propose to use the method of block alternative networks. According to this method, each aspect of competencies is represented in the form of a network block, and the set of blocks forms a complete network – abbreviated BAN. The formation of individual competencies is carried out in the form of a route to the BAN in accordance with the individual learning path, synthesized or given a priori. Applicability theoretical provisions are considered on the example of the embodiment of the synthesis of individual competence trajectory (TIC) of the discipline of the working curriculum, implementing the FSES HE the direction of training 09.03.04 “Software engineering” (bachelor level) in the profile “Engineering of intelligent software systems and complexes”.

The paper considers the problem of identification of students in problem-oriented distance learning systems (tele-education). The use of biometric technologies in tele-education systems is becoming the most effective solution to the problem of adequate identification of the student. However, the problem of choosing the most appropriate biometric methods still remains unsolved. In this paper the solution of selecting appropriate biometric identification and verification methods of identity of students is encouraged to implement on the basis of a unified system of biometric classification. The basis of this classification are systemic and comprehensive approach, and corresponding to this approach, system-integrated analysis (SI-analysis). To present a general and ordered biometric image, a unified classification system is suggested, which is based on a system-integrated analysis. The suggested system-complex classification is based on aspect, component, attributive and parametric analysis. Biometric identification and verification methods are classified according to the types of biometric identifiers, determined by anatomical, physiological factors, as well as psychological (behavior) and psychophysical characteristics of a person. For a reliable identification of personality in tele-education systems multimodal biometrics methods (MBM) are offered, i.e. based on several mutually agreed biometric methods. On the basis of SI-analysis are highlighted biometric methods which are the most appropriate to the tasks of personal identification in tele-education systems. Examples of specific methods oriented to use in computer and telecommunication training systems are given in this paper.

The emergence of electronic textbooks as a means of teaching in the real educational process of the school and university necessitates scientific research in the field of their design and application. These scientific researches, which are currently conducted in didactics, psychology, information technology, computational mathematics, are inherently polydisciplinary, since didactic problems are solved by means of other scientific directions. At the same time, there are all prerequisites for conducting interdisciplinary research, the subject of which can be an electronic textbook. The purpose of this article is to substantiate the need for interdisciplinary research in the field of building electronic textbooks. In the main part of the work, the specific mathematical algorithms implemented in practice in the programming of the e-textbooks of the learning management system of the Moscow Aviation Institute are described. New mathematical approaches to designing an electronic textbook, in particular, a graph-oriented approach, are proposed. The model of forming a time-limited test is considered, where the weighted convolution of the normalized values is carried out by an optimization criterion: deviations of the test complexity from a given level and quantiles of the test execution time. The modern software technologies are used in the development of mathematical algorithmic module. In conclusion, we described the effectiveness of the joint research of specialists from different scientific fields, which has been confirmed by the practical implementation of this project.

In work results of researches in the area of simulation of electrical characteristics of the AlGaN/GaN field-effect transistor are provided. The considerable difference of transport processes in case of the strong and feeble electrical polarization is shown. The role of capture of centers in volume of a buffer layer GaN is analyzed and it is shown that deep interruptions can influence considerably on distribution of electrostatic potential and density of electrons in a buffer layer. In case of high concentration of interruptions there is a sharp lowering of density of the free electrons with increase of distance from the channel, the current density in the depth of a buffer layer decreases. The received scientific results have allowed to use the scientific software for disciplines on the automated design in electronics, automation of an experiment and for design and modeling micro and nanosystems within the direction of microelectronics and nanoelectronics for training of masters at the university. Software systems are designed for mathematical simulation of semiconductor manufacturing processes, their electrical, optical, thermal, and other characteristics. A significant advantage is the possibility of establishing a relationship between the devices characteristics and the manufacturing technology and design parameters, without involving costly experimental studies, based on their physical implementation. The software is used to develop devices and elements of integrated circuits, to study device properties in various operating modes when exposed to various external factors.

Cloud-based learning environments, one of the main components of which are massive open online courses, have enormous collections of Big data. Rapid growth of the volumes of collected and stored information allows using methods of Data Mining. One of the main directions for further improvement of the online courses is to provide complex personalization. The need for personalization of learning is a reflection of the natural for mankind desire for an individual approach to personal needs, preferences and opportunities. A serious disadvantage of the online courses is the lack of an individual and differentiated approach to each student due to a pre-determined learning route in typical courses. We have developed a heuristic algorithm that implements methods of intellectual management of individual educational trajectories. The developed algorithm allows building an optimal individual learning route for each student, providing the widest possible opportunities and comfortable conditions for personalized learning. Using the proposed algorithm will dynamically development and correct the individual educational trajectory of each student within the course. The algorithm takes into account a variety of parameters: age, diagnostic questionnaire results, tests score, features of perception and memorization of the material.

Modern science heavy relies on the usage of information technologies (IT). It is important to organize knowledge transfer from IT specialists to non-IT and to less educated and/or skilled IT ones. Nowadays a speed of IT development (as well as achievements of the results these IT are used for) can be sufficiently increased by joining efforts and resources of cooperating organizations, which solve similar tasks. An important aspect of such cooperation is an experience exchange and knowledge transfer, which can be obtained by participating in conferences, seminars, workshops, master classes, etc. That article provides information on the activities around a cloud infrastructure created at the Laboratory of Information Technologies of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). It describes a purpose of its creation, implemented features, use-cases and training events it is used in. A relevance of the JINR and its Member State organizations clouds integration based on the DIRAC middleware is described too. Particular attention is paid to a process of knowledge transfer from JINR colleagues to fellows of other participating institutions through the organizing and holding of seminars, schools, conferences, round tables as well as semestrial training courses for students.

The article observes the effectiveness of various strategies and methods of organizing classes using IT, while studying the section Integration of Further mathematics course. The Fundamental theorem of integral and differential calculus offers 1st-year students a learning platform to study vocational courses. Many students do not cope with the subject, though. An active use of information technologies available in the educational process enable them refine the course successfully. The students learn certain definitions using original interactive computer games. Individual work is arranged using various applications of LearningApps.org. web service. The students learn geometric applications of integrals via Maple graphical capabilities. The educational experiment was run at Sholom-Aleichem Priamursky State University, Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, and Omsk State Technical University. The participants are the students of the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Information Systems and Technology, Applied Mathematics and IT. There were 60 students in the control group, whereas there were 65 students in the experimental group. The survey resulted in a qualitative student academic performance in the experimental group larger by 17%. This confirms an assumption that using interactive technologies in the learning process enhances cognitive performance, stimulates students’ self-study, and guides them to acquire real, not by-the-book knowledge.

The article is devoted to the introduction into practice of education management in the region of elements of artificial intelligence, in particular, in the areas called “data mining in active systems”, “lean production”, “soft computing”. It is shown that the concept of “soft estimation of situations” is the development of the methodology of “soft” measurements. Practical approaches, which are based on fuzzy logic in the whole, fuzzy clustering and semantic triangulation, subjective probability and evolutionary algorithms.

The article presents a model of a training system using the artificial intelligence methods for optimization of certain educational process components. The training system allows the teacher to create and optimize training courses based on the accumulated statistical information. For development of the training system, a hybrid system was chosen combining the advantages of various technologies that allow solving each problem in the optimal way. An algorithm for optimization of the content of the training course practical part using the artificial immune system has been considered. A set of the class’s practical tasks is divided into classes of tasks of similar complexity aimed at achieving similar objectives of the course. The objective function and problem limitations are formulated using H. Markowitz’s model. One of the problem’s objective functions minimizes the correlation between the complexity of tasks of different classes, which allows excluding presence of many single-type tasks in the collection of practical tasks; another objective function maximizes the effectiveness (notion “effectiveness” is introduced in the article) of the collection of tasks. The model’s variables are shares of the total number of tasks selected from each class. For optimization of the given model, a set of Pareto-optimal solutions of a bicriterial problem is found, which allows selecting the optimal relation between the tasks diversity and their effectiveness. The work offers an algorithm for finding the solution of this problem, modified for the artificial immune system. The algorithm suggested in the problem allows obtaining, in a relatively short time, a satisfactory approximation of the Pareto-optimal set for solution of the problem.

The report implements the discussions on the theme “Convergence of professional, scientific and educational network communities and prerequisites for its implementation: a collaboration of intellectual processes and investigations of advanced technology precursors”. The target setting corresponds to an initiative focused on a comprehensive discussion of issues of formation of digital socio-economic environments and assessment of the quality of processes on the basis of conceptual models of integration, collective expertise, and convergence of professional, scientific and educational network communities. In this regard, interdisciplinary research and development in its fundamental basis are directly aimed at the implementation of effective management of the socio-economic environment of professional, scientific and educational network communities in the transition to digital, intelligent production technologies, new materials, by creating original tools for search, collection, storage and processing of pertinent information resources in modern conditions of rapid development of artificial neural network, cognitive and other bio-inspired technologies.

In this paper, we consider one of the tasks of biocybernetics, i.e. the problem of reconstructing the distance matrix between DNA sequences. In this problem, not all the elements of the matrix under consideration are known at the input of the algorithm (usually 50% or less elements). The basis for the development of the algorithm for reconstructing such a matrix is the method of comparative evaluation of the algorithms for calculating distances between DNA sequences developed and investigated by us earlier. In this analysis, the badness of each of the triangles of the matrix determined by us was applied.The restoration of the matrix occurs as a result of several computational passes. Estimates of unknown matrix elements are averaged in a special way using the risk function, and the result of this averaging is considered as the received value of the unknown element. To optimize the algorithm for solving this problem, we consider the use of the branch and bound method in it.

Generating models are a modern, rapidly developing direction of research in the application of neural network technologies. Its currently known applications include, in particular, image visualization, drawing, image resolution improvement, structured prediction, research in the field of training and data preprocessing for neural networks in cases where the production of test data is an unacceptably expensive process. They are actively discussing their capabilities in the tasks of providing information and computer security, tasks of computer technical expertise, tasks of transforming and restoring objects by fragments or when the information is extremely noisy.Generating models are a modern rapidly developing field of research in neural network technologies. Its applications include image visualization, drawing, image resolution improvement, structured prediction, research in the field of providing information security, tasks of computer technical expertise, tasks of transforming and restoring fragmented or is extremely noisy objects. The aim of the study is to create a software product that tests the hypothesis of the successful use of generative adversarial networks (GAN) to improve the characteristics of images. The use of GAN allows solving the problem of correcting distorted digital objects not by traditional adjustment of their individual parameters, but by generating undistorted objects that are “indistinguishable” from the original ones.The article presents and analyzes the method of building a neural network that is capable to remove noise from images, preventing them from being too blurred and retaining clarity (in comparison with the original), which proves its ability to generalize. The experiment showed that GAN with sufficient efficiency not only removes noise from images with a distorting signal on which it was trained, but also in the case of noise unknown to the etymology network. The success of training to suppress specific distortions of digital graphic objects makes it possible to assume that by training a neural network to work with other types of distortion, one can achieve successful results for solving a wider class of problems.

According to the informatics-cybernetic model of the Humankind’s hierarchical system, information technologies (IT) appear historically: 1) IT signal poses/sounds/movements: the characteristic size (radius of the same area circle) is ~64 m, the anthropogenic impact accuracy is ~28 cm, start ~28.23, culmination ~9.26 million years ago, carrier of pre-humans Hominoidea; 2) IT mimics/gestures: ~1 km and ~1.8 cm, ~1.86 and ~0.612 million years ago, Homo archaeo-paleolithicus and Homo mezo-paleolithicus; 3) IT speech/language: ~15 km, production technology accuracy ~1.8 mm, ~123 and ~40 thousand years ago (near the IT-initiated Upper Paleolithic revolution), Homo sapiens’ (H.s. paleolithicus superior and H.s. neolithicus); 4) IT writing: ~222 km and 80 μm, ~6100 and ~700 years BC (near the Urban revolution of “axial” time), Homo sapiens’’ (H. paleometallicus and H.s. neometallicus); 5) IT replicating texts: ~3370 km and 5 μm, ~1446 and ~1806 years AD (near the industrial revolution), Homo sapiens’’’; 6) IT computer: ~51 thousand km (planetary) and 0.35 μm, ~1946 and ~1970 (near the computer revolution – the creation of microprocessors), Homo sapiens ‘‘‘‘; 7) IT network: ~773 thousand km (Near Cosmos) and 23 nm, ~1979 and ~2003 (about the revolution of mobile telephony, Internet, etc.), Homo sapiens’’’’’; 8) nano-IT (possibly, nano-hardware supported selective telepathy): ~11.7 million km (Intermediate Cosmos) and 1.5 nm, ~1981 and ~2341, Homo sapiens’’’’’’ (H.s. informaticus, according to the extrapolation of the archaeological epoch “Fibonacci’s” model). This list reflects the genesis of IT – part of the genesis of hierarchies (subsystems) in the Humankind’s system. The main components of the genesis of hierarchies include anthropo-, psycho-, techno-, culture-, socio-, ideal-genesis, etc. Thus, the genesis of IT, which has quantitative (model) estimates of the characteristic times of its course, can act as a marker both for the genesis of hierarchies in general and for its components.

A software package was developed to find the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of evolutionarily stable vertical migrations of aquatic organisms according to the observed dynamical characteristics of the environment. The mathematical basis for solving the problem of predicting evolutionarily stable behavior is the maximum fitness principle. The method of deriving this function relies on the study of the population density dynamics over the space of hereditary elements. Evolutionally stable behavior is found by solving the classical problem of the calculus of variations, in which the fitness function is taken as the target functional. The software is built in the form of two interconnected complexes. The first complex provides a numerical solution of the problem of the calculus of variations to maximize the analytically defined fitness function of aquatic organisms under certain environmental conditions. This allows us to find evolutionarily stable behavior for a number of characteristic cases as the solution of the optimization problem. As a result, a training set of comparison samples is formed. It contains known precedents of the dynamic states of the environment and the corresponding strategies of evolutionarily stable vertical migrations of aquatic organisms. It is used for the recognition process. The second subsystem recognizes the qualitative characteristics of evolutionarily stable vertical migrations according to approximately given characteristics of the environment on the basis of using the formed base of the comparison samples.

The construction of the integral characteristic of the system can be considered as a problem signal-to-noise discrimination. The signal in this case is the weight coefficients of the linear convolution of indicators. Composite index weights should reflect the structure of the system being evaluated. The successful application of principal component analysis in different systems structure description allows us to suggest that the method will also provide adequate results for social systems description. However, principal component analysis and factor analysis determine the structure of principal components and principal factors differently for different observations. The reason for this may be the presence of inevitable errors in the used data. As a method of avoiding this, a modification of the principal component analysis method is proposed, taking into account the presence of errors in the data used. A solution of the problem requires a detailed understanding of input data errors’ influence on the calculated model’s parameters. Therefore, the question of the problem correctness is essential. A clarification of the concept of computation a system’s quality changes composite index problem correctness is proposed. The consequence of the stability is on average a slight change (increment) of objects Rank for different measurements. This increment can be estimated a posteriori using a number of observations of the proposed variance criterion. The results of different composite index evaluation stability according to this criterion are presented. The integral indicators calculated using the author’s method have a good stability.

An approach to the problem of DDoS attacks identifying is considered, it includes: formation of network traffic’s secondary informative features of its temporal structure, based on the observed primary characteristics (header of data packets), detection of attacks, and classification of attack types. The first task is solved by the method of dynamic filtering, the second – by estimating of changes in the statistic of traffic secondary informative features by the minimum set of their observations, and the third – by the Bayesian classification. For traffic dynamic filtering, it is suggested to use: the causal transformation operator, the evolution operator, and median and correlation operators. For attacks detection, Wald’s sequential analysis is applied. Experimental studies were conducted on the test stand with special software complex for simulating DDoS attacks and software complex for their detection and identification. The results that our software complex for DDoS attacks detection and identification achieves are: detection of network attacks of various types based on joint consideration of probabilistic statistics generated separately by the values of parameters of address and load fields of data packet headers; using the obtained statistics to detect attacks with a priori specified values of errors of the 1st and 2nd type; the choice of an adequate method of protection against DDoS-attacks, taking into account its type.

Each programmer has his unique coding style. Identification source code authorship solves the problem of determining the most likely creator of the source code, in particular, for plagiarism and disputes about intellectual property violations, as well as to help in finding the creators of malware. Extraction a unique style helps to maintain the uniformity of code in repositories, considering the different influence of programmers. Currently, methods based on random forests and abstract syntax trees, short n-grams for structure preservation and Bayes classifier and others are proposed. We present a new model, called StyleIndex, based on tokenization and tools for analyzing the semantics of programming languages and context of tokens in the program text, and extraction unique author’s style Index. The algorithm applies to various programming languages and shows very high classification accuracy. Moreover, our algorithm is able not only to correlate the source code and its creator, examples of programs which are available for training, but also to divide the program into categories by the alleged authors and have trained on other authors, thereby extraction the components define the style as a global concept, independent from specific authors. The main factors that determine the style are also identified.

The paper considers and studies the methods of a complex approach to the formation of unite geo-informational space of territories on the basis of a digital plan-scheme as an elementary semantic object of the image of the underlying surface, the choice of approaches to the use for this purpose of intellectual analysis of fuzzy data stored in virtual data warehouses of target objects. The directions of theoretical research on the construction, structure, methods and algorithms of formation and functioning of a unite geo-informational space (further - UGIS) as a system of systems on the principles of geo-interoperability are specified.

The paper considers the solution of one class of coefficient inverse problems connected with the identification of models describing the process of inelastic deformation of structural elements under creep conditions up to fracture moment. Systems of ordinary differential equations are used to describe the creep process. Some structural materials, such as metals, concrete and composite materials have creep properties at high and moderate temperatures. Wherein, the non-consideration of material creep can lead to significant errors in the structures deformation-strength characteristics determining, that leads to the emergencies. However, creep modeling involves some difficulties. There is no general creep theory describing all or most of the observed phenomena. Dozens of different creep theories have been developed applied to specific narrow classes of problems. Moreover, constitutive equations of each theory contain sets of material constants determined by the results of the experiment. Traditional methods of creep models identification depend both on the type of constitutive equations, and the conditions under which construction works. For identification of creep models parameters, the authors proposed a general unified method, which is based on the technique and principles of neural network modeling. A new multilayered method is developed in addition to using the traditional neural network approximations with activation functions of a special type. In the new approach, the problem is preliminarily discretized using known numerical schemes on a segment with a variable right boundary. The advantages of the proposed approaches compared with the traditional ones are shown by the example of creep model identification for a uniaxial tension of steel 45 cylindrical samples under creep conditions. The reliability of the obtained data is confirmed by a comparison with the experimental data and the results of other authors.

In this paper, we investigate the features of the numerical solution of Cauchy problems for nonlinear differential equations with contrast structures (interior layers). Similar problems arise in the modeling of certain problems of hydrodynamics, chemical kinetics, combustion theory, computational geometry. Analytical solution of problems with contrast structures can be obtained only in particular cases. The numerical solution is also difficult to obtain. This is due to the ill-conditionality of the equations in the neighborhood of the interior and boundary layers. To achieve an acceptable accuracy of the numerical solution, it is necessary to significantly reduce the step size, which leads to an increase of a computational complexity. The disadvantages of using the traditional explicit Euler method and fourth-order Runge-Kutta method, as well as the implicit Euler method with constant and variable step sizes are shown on the example of one test problem with two boundary and one interior layers. Two approaches have been proposed to eliminate the computational disadvantages of traditional methods. As the first method, the best parametrization is applied. This method consists in passing to a new argument measured in the tangent direction along the integral curve of the considered Cauchy problem. The best parametrization allows obtaining the best conditioned Cauchy problem and eliminating the computational difficulties arising in the neighborhood of the interior and boundary layers. The second approach for solving the Cauchy problem is a semi-analytical method developed in the works of Alexander N. Vasilyev and Dmitry A. Tarkhov their apprentice and followers. This method allows obtaining a multilayered functional solution, which can be considered as a type of nonlinear asymptotics. Even at high rigidity, a semi-analytical method allows obtaining acceptable accuracy solution of problems with contrast structures. The analysis of the methods used is carried out. The obtained results are compared with the analytical solution of the considered test problem, as well as with the results of other authors.

The approach for building new probabilistic models which is intended to predict risks for complex intellectual structures under different threats and to solve quality and safety problems in system life cycle, is proposed. The approach includes: selection of models for every system element allowing to estimate probability to lose integrity during given prognostic period; the approach to build probability distribution functions (PDF) by the models selected to predict probability and risks to lose integrity for different scenarios of threats; the approach to integrate PDF for structure from two elements united by serial and/or parallel connection and generalization for complex structure; the approach to form input for modeling and to solve quality and safety problems in application to complex intellectual structures; applications, which can prove efficiency in different areas. The approach is applicable for the analysis of the reliability of complex systems built from unreliable components, estimations of increasing expected reliability and safety for intelligent manufacturing, modeling of robotic and automated systems operating in cosmic space, optimization of a centralized heat supply system, estimating the mean residual time before the next parameters abnormalities for monitored critical systems, control of information quality, estimation of human factor, analysis of vulnerability of sea oil and gas systems etc. Effects are demonstrated by practical examples.

The following article is devoted to using prediction analytics methods in controlling a mining and logistics complex of an open-pit mine. The possibilities of using telemetric information for solving a wide variety of important technological tasks, that are then reduced to data interpretation, object identification, parameter and condition diagnostics and control of robotized interaction. Described are the possibilities of on-board monitoring systems that are currently equipped on BELAZ heavy trucks. It is shown which new tasks in predictive maintenance can be solved using machine learning. Approaches to creating a universal instrument for automatic suggestion and checking hypotheses are reviewed, using heavy truck’s tire durability prediction.

The estimation of the state of dynamic stochastic systems using the methods of filtration theory assumes the exact a priori setting of the parameters of the equation of the system and the probabilistic characteristics of its noises, which in practice are known approximately or change in time randomly. In this regard, the algorithm of adaptive estimation of one of the most critical parameters of the discrete stochastic filter - the dispersion matrix of noises acting on the system is considered for measuring and information systems that use, in addition to continuous noisy observations, also accurate observations at random times. The advantage of the proposed algorithm is the possibility of analytical determination of this dispersion matrix based on current precise observations and, as a consequence, a significant increase in the overall accuracy of the evaluation of the perturbed state vector of the system. A numerical example illustrating the possibility of effective practical use of the developed algorithm is given.

The paper presents an information technology based on the modified multi-domain infocommunications model, which allows describing the interaction between the objects of the physical, informational (cybernetic) and cognitive levels in the field of environmental monitoring and forecasting of road and water transport impact though the set of unified terms. The effectiveness of the suggested approach is illustrated with the development of calculation model for the air pollution control and predicting in the areas of simultaneous impact of motor and water transport in large port cities like St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Sevastopol.

The article is devoted to the description of the complex method to design granulation unit, which is based on the joint use of the computer modeling results on the simulation models and software modeling based on author’s software products. The description of the software package Granulation Unit© to carrying out the structural and technological calculations for the granulation unit is given. The role of computer and software modeling in the general design algorithm of the granulation unit is shown. The optimization criteria are selected and an algorithm of design optimization for granulation unit is described using the example of the “Vortex Granulator” case. A general method of granulation unit designing “turnkey” with the use of automated design elements is presented. The results of automated calculations form the base to design an industrial granulation unit for the porous ammonium nitrate production. On the example of a specific product of the granulation unit (porous ammonium nitrate), the author’s software product is presented to determine the quality of the porous surface in the granule.

This paper deals with some issues related to the training of students of junior courses (approximately 14–19 years). At least two objectives are set. Firstly, we focus on potential participants of the programming Olympiads: according to our calculations, at least one third of the tasks of high-level Olympiads can be called exhaustive-searched. Secondly (which, apparently, is more important), mastering the proposed approach to the implementation of hard exhaustive-searched problems can (and should) serve as an “advanced” student as a first step into the “big science”: the tasks themselves, and the approach we propose to implement them, are closely connected with the set of directions of modern artificial intelligence, the analysis of large data, and similar subject areas. Several of the problems we are considering are related to different subjects. Among these problems (subjects areas) are, first, the tasks previously given at different levels of the ACM Olympiads, including at the final stage of this Olympiad. The solutions we offer for these tasks are no more complicated than the original ones, and considering that they can be quickly implemented using the approach we proposed (described in this article), we can say that they are much easier to learn by the trainees. In the article, we describe some classes implemented in C++, intended for the quick generation of programs for solving a variety of enumeration tasks. We give also some specific programming techniques for such tasks.

Processes are the core of organizations. Business Process Management (BPM) helps organizations gain a competitive advantage by improving and innovating their processes through a holistic process-oriented view. We argue that interpretation of process management as pure process model re-design, limit our capability of process control. A model modification is essential but not the only way of process management. It is possible to manage a process without model modification. We introduce three levels of process controlling.