In this paper, we consider a class of scheduling problems that are among the fundamental optimization problems in operations research. More specifically, we deal with a particular version called job shop scheduling with unit length tasks. Using the results of Hromkovič, Mömke, Steinhöfel, and Widmayer presented in their work Job Shop Scheduling with Unit Length Tasks: Bounds and Algorithms, we analyze the problem setting for 2 jobs with an unequal number of tasks. We contribute a deterministic algorithm which achieves a vanishing delay in certain cases and a randomized algorithm with a competitive ratio tending to 1. Furthermore, we investigate the problem with 3 jobs and we construct a randomized online algorithm which also has a competitive ratio tending to 1.

Frequency hopping sequences sets are required in frequency hopping code division multiple access systems. For the anti-jamming purpose, frequency hopping sequences are required to have a large linear span. In this paper, by using a permutation polynomial δ(x) over a finite field, we transform several optimal sets of frequency hopping sequences with small linear span into ones with large linear span. The exact values of the linear span are presented by using the methods of counting the terms of the sequences representations. The results show that the transformed frequency hopping sequences are optimal with respect to the Peng-Fan bound, and can resist the analysis of Berlekamp-Massey algorithm.

This paper deals with the decidability of semigroup freeness. More precisely, the freeness problem over a semigroup S is defined as: given a finite subset X ⊆ S, decide whether each element of S has at most one factorization over X. To date, the decidabilities of the following two freeness problems have been closely examined. In 1953, Sardinas and Patterson proposed a now famous algorithm for the freeness problem over the free monoids. In 1991, Klarner, Birget and Satterfield proved the undecidability of the freeness problem over three-by-three integer matrices. Both results led to the publication of many subsequent papers. The aim of the present paper is (i) to present general results about freeness problems, (ii) to study the decidability of freeness problems over various particular semigroups (special attention is devoted to multiplicative matrix semigroups), and (iii) to propose precise, challenging open questions in order to promote the study of the topic.

Joint 2-adic complexity is a new important index of the cryptographic security for multisequences. In this paper, we extend the usual Fourier transform to the case of multisequences and derive an upper bound for the joint 2-adic complexity. Furthermore, for the multisequences with pn-period, we discuss the relation between sequences and their Fourier coefficients. Based on the relation, we determine a lower bound for the number of multisequences with given joint 2-adic complexity.

Probabilistic operational semantics for a nondeterministic extension of pure λ-calculus is studied. In this semantics, a term evaluates to a (finite or infinite) distribution of values. Small-step and big-step semantics, inductively and coinductively defined, are given. Moreover, small-step and big-step semantics are shown to produce identical outcomes, both in call-by-value and in call-by-name. Plotkin’s CPS translation is extended to accommodate the choice operator and shown correct with respect to the operational semantics. Finally, the expressive power of the obtained system is studied: the calculus is shown to be sound and complete with respect to computable probability distributions.

The infinite Post Correspondence Problem (ωPCP) was shown to be undecidable by Ruohonen (1985) in general. Blondel and Canterini [Theory Comput. Syst. 36 (2003) 231–245] showed that ωPCP is undecidable for domain alphabets of size 105, Halava and Harju [RAIRO–Theor. Inf. Appl. 40 (2006) 551–557] showed that ωPCP is undecidable for domain alphabets of size 9. By designing a special coding, we delete a letter from Halava and Harju’s construction. So we prove that ωPCP is undecidable for domain alphabets of size 8.