The performance of anytime algorithms can be improved by simultaneously solving several instances of algorithm-problem pairs. These pairs may include different instances of a problem (such as starting from a different initial state), different algorithms (if several alternatives exist), or several runs of the same algorithm (for non-deterministic algorithms). In this paper we present a methodology for designing an optimal scheduling policy based on the statistical characteristics of the algorithms involved. We formally analyze the case where the processes share resources (a single-processor model), and provide an algorithm for optimal scheduling. We analyze, theoretically and empirically, the behavior of our scheduling algorithm for various distribution types. Finally, we present empirical results of applying our scheduling algorithm to the Latin Square problem.

One of the most common mechanisms used for speeding up problem solvers is macro-learning. Macros are sequences of basic operators acquired during problem solving. Macros are used by the problem solver as if they were basic operators. The major problem that macro-learning presents is the vast number of macros that are available for acquisition. Macros increase the branching factor of the search space and can severely degrade problem-solving efficiency. To make macro learning useful, a program must be selective in acquiring and utilizing macros. This paper describes a general method for selective acquisition of macros. Solvable training problems are generated in increasing order of difficulty. The only macros acquired are those that take the problem solver out of a local minimum to a better state. The utility of the method is demonstrated in several domains, including the domain of NxN sliding-tile puzzles. After learning on small puzzles, the system is able to efficiently solve puzzles of any size.

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Transfer tasks in text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis -where one or more aspects of the speech of one set of speakers is transferred to another set of speakers that do not feature these aspects originally -remains a challenging task. One of the challenges is that models that have high-quality transfer capabilities can have issues in stability, making them impractical for user-facing critical tasks. This paper demonstrates that transfer can be obtained by training a robust TTS system on data generated by a less robust TTS system designed for a high-quality transfer task; in particular, a CHiVE-BERT monolingual TTS system is trained on the output of a Tacotron model designed for accent transfer. While some quality loss is inevitable with this approach, experimental results show that the models trained on synthetic data this way can produce high quality audio displaying accent transfer, while preserving speaker characteristics such as speaking style.