The use of suitable examples is a key to teach abstract, theoretical concepts. Interactive computer software allows us to use such examples to create attractive learning environments that not only appeal to students, but also enhance knowledge transfer in class. However, developing such highly specialized systs is costly, resulting in only few of these tools being developed for higher education. This article introduces Info Traffic, a collection of new learning environments to support the introduction of fundamental concepts of computer science and mathatics in order to be of long-lived value. We describe the didactical concepts behind the interactive and concrete approach of Info Traffic, and illustrate th through two of its learning environments -- one targeted at propositional logic, the other at queueing theory.

Mixed reality is a very useful and powerful instrument for the visualization of processes, including the assembly process. A Mixed Reality based step-by-step furniture assembly application is introduced. On the one hand context related actions are given to the user to install elements. On the other hand an intuitive way for authors to create new MR based assembly instructions is provided. Our goal is to provide a powerful, flexible and easy-to-use authoring wizard for assembly experts, allowing them to author their new assembly instructor for hierarchical structures. This minimizes the costs for the creation of new mixed reality assembly instructors.

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Shadows add a level of realism to a rendered image. Moreover, they are used as visual clues to determine spacial relationships and real-time shadows will gain importance in current real-time computer graphics applications for this reason. Twenty-five years ago, Crow published the shadow volume approach for determining shadowed regions of a scene. In this paper we present a modified real-time shadow volume algorithm that can be used in an Augmented/Mixed Reality application. Finally, the proposed concepts provide a novel sense of visual output of an AR application.

The state-of-the-art of pseudospark switch (PSS) development is reported. In addition to the replacement of thyratrons for high power applications in TE-gas-discharge lasers, PSSs have been tested at high repetition rates up to 2 kHz. In order to minimize the erosion rate and to reduce total switch inductance, multichannel PSSs with various geometrical configurations have been investigated: linear, coaxial, and radial arrangements of the parallel discharge channels. All three configurations possess distinct advantages in pulsed power technology, i.e. linear systems fit well into striplines. Beyond this, PSSs gain increasing importance in high current devices like fast pinches, plasma foci, or powerful modulators, i.e. for magnetoforming. A single-channel switch for hold-off voltages up to 30 kV at peak currents of approximately=100 kA has been tested for a damped sinusoidal pulse of a 5 mu s duration at a repetition rate of up to 0.2 Hz, with and without electrode cooling.>

The complexity $L(A,M)$ of a finite-dimensional module M over a finite-dimensional associative algebra A is the number of nonscalar multiplications/divisions of an optimal algorithm to compute the product of an element of the algebra with an element of the module. It is known that \[ L(A,A) \geqq 2 \cdot \dim A - s, \] where s is the number of maximal two-sided ideals of A. We give a generalization of this lower bound to arbitrary A-modules M.