Rahul Gupta

Research

I am interested in a wide variety of subjects, with a focus on understanding and mitigating complexity.

Intelligence Augmentation

Syntropize

Complexity of Thought & Expression

The last 60 years have borne witness to unprecedented advances in computing technology, leading to the information revolution. But our collective failure to imagine software free from the constraints of the physical world has meant that computers are yet to fullfil their destiny as amplifiers of the mind. Syntropize is a proposal for a comprehensive redesign of the operating environment to reclaim the original vision of personal computers as the means to augment our intelligence.

Syntropize completely re-imagines the experience of using a personal computer. It has has no notion of apps; instead, unified workspaces dynamically mix-and-match media elements based on context and user-intent, to present linked information from multiple sources in a seamless hypermedia environment. By ensuring that you have the right information, in the right form, at the right moment, Syntropize aims to unleash the critical thinking and creative potential of every individual and all society.

Links

• Website
• Documentation
• Repository
• Downloads

Cosmology

Supernova Cosmology in an Inhomogeneous Universe

Complexity of the Universe

Using numerical simulations, we demonstrate that it is essential to consider the effects of inhomogeneities in matter distribution on the propagation of light beams while interpreting luminosity-redshift observations of ‘Type Ia’ Supernovae. Our failure to account for the complexity of the universe contributes towards an illusion of its accelerating expansion. The structure of matter in the universe might be thus sufficient to explain cosmic observations without the need to invoke exotic phenomena like dark energy.

Publications

• Supernova Cosmology in an Inhomogeneous Universe, Master’s Thesis, Stockholm University, 2010

Power Transmission and Distribution

Open Automation Framework

Complexity of Power System Protection & Automation

Rapid advances in hardware technology have simultaneously been accompanied by the development and deployment of ever more sophisticated techniques and algorithms for the protection and automation of the electrical grid.

But, architecture and design of protective relays has not kept pace, leading to increased substation complexity that raises both costs and risk of failures.

We propose an Open Automation Framework to transparently integrate protection and automation functions within control panels so as to maximize reuse and redundancy. An open standard for design and architecture of protection and automation equipment will bring down the lifecycle costs of the automation infrastructure while simultaneously increasing the availability, reliability and security of the substation.

Publications

• Open Automation Framework, SWITCH 2016 - Innovation & Technology Summit, Vadodara 2016

Complex Systems

General Theory of Systems

A framework for Complexity

All of the above tie into my main interest, which is to understand complexity. Complexity pervades nature — it is what makes the world interesting. It is the defining feature of modern civilization. But our understanding of complexity is, at best, rudimentary. The consequences of which can range from the mildly wasteful to the absolutely catastrophic. And yet, we do not have a programme to understand complexity.

A General Theory of Systems provides the necessary conceptual framework to understand complexity from underlying principles that govern properties and behaviours of systems. Going into the future, this understanding of complexity will be essential to our ability to comprehend and cope with the world around us. The very success of our species will depend on it!

Open Standards

I am currently an author of a number of proposed internet specifications:

Solid Notifications

Co-author

The Solid Notifications Protocol is the official specifications of receiving notifications from the Solid resources. It provides a mechanism for discovery of notification capabilities on resources, customisation of notification channels through subscriptions, capabilities of notification channels, and methods for establishing a connection to a notification channel.

• Specifications
• Repository

Per Resource Events

Author

Per Resource Events is a minimal protocol built on top of HTTP that allows clients to receive notifications directly from any resource of interest. The Per Resource Events Protocol (PREP) is predicated on the idea that the most intuitive source for notifications about changes made to a resource is the resource itself.

• Specifications
• Repository

Solid-PREP

Editor and Author

Solid-PREP is a companion specification to Per Resource Events that defines representation and semantics for notifications sent from LDP Resources hosted on Solid stores using the Per Resource Events Protocol.

• Specifications
• Repository

Contributions

I have also made contributions to the following proposed internet specifications:

Solid Protocol

Solid (originally Social Linked Data) is a project by Tim Berners-Lee designed to decentralize the web and put data ownership back in the hands of its creators.

• Specifications
• Repository

HTTP Resource Versioning

Proposes a general versioning approach for HTTP. Part of the Braid specification suite.

• Specifications