When modelling and analysing business processes, the main emphasis is usually put on model validity and accuracy, i.e., the model meets the formal specification and also models the relevant system. In recent years, a series of metrics has begun to develop, which allows the quantification of the specific properties of process models. These characteristics are, for instance, complexity, comprehensibility, cohesion, and uncertainty. This work is focused on defining a method that allows us to measure the uncertainty of a process model, which was modelled by using stochastic Petri nets (SPN). The principle of this method consists of mapping of all reachable marking of SPN into the continuous-time Markov chain and then calculating its stationary probabilities. The uncertainty is then measured as the entropy of the Markov chain (it is possible to calculate the uncertainty of the specific subset of places as well as of whole net). Alternatively, the uncertainty index is quantified as a percentage of the calculated entropy against maximum entropy (the resulting value is normalized to the interval <0,1>). The calculated entropy can also be used as a measure of the model complexity.

Complexity analysis of dynamic systems provides a better understanding of the internal behaviours that are associated with tension and efficiency, which in the socio-technical systems may lead to innovation. One of the popular approaches for the assessment of complexity is associated with self-similarity. The dynamic component of dynamic systems represents the relationships and interactions among the inner elements (and its surroundings) and fully describes its behaviour. The approach used in this work addresses complexity analysis in terms of system behaviour, i.e., the so-called behavioural analysis of complexity. The self-similarity of a system (structural or behavioural) can be determined, for example, using fractal geometry, whose toolbox provides a number of methods for the measurement of the so-called fractal dimension. Other instruments for measuring the self-similarity in a system, include the Hurst exponent and the framework of complex system theory in general. The approach introduced in this work defines the complexity analysis in a social-technical system under tension. The proposed procedure consists of modelling the key dynamic components of a discrete event dynamic system by any definition of Petri nets. From the stationary probabilities, one can then decide whether the system is self-similar using the abovementioned tools. In addition, the proposed approach allows for finding the critical values (phase transitions) of the analysed systems.

This paper presents results of empirical study of passwords really used on internet. These passwords were obtained during two data acquisitions in three years period. In this paper a method for the evaluation of password security against a dictionary attack and a brute force attack is suggested and used for security evaluation of these passwords. The method is based on a mathematical model and a simulation of dictionary attack and a brute force attack. In the paper trends of password selecting are identified and expected progress is outlined. Simultaneously truly used passwords are investigated by statistic methods.

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As a professional virtual community, the virtual academic community meets the new needs of scholars for academic cooperation in the network environment. It provides a more convenient way for scientific research cooperation. The purpose of this paper is to combine the factors influencing researcher cooperation in virtual academic communities and to verify and improve the index system of the factors influencing researcher cooperation in virtual academic communities with data support. Data for the research was obtained in an online questionnaire survey wjx.cn from forum muchong.com, which is the largest virtual academic community in China. Using principal component analysis method provides an in-depth data analysis of individual factors. The SPSS 20 was used to conduct a preliminary descriptive statistical analysis of the questionnaires. The results obtained show that community trust plays the most important role in the collaboration of researchers in virtual academic communities and that group interaction factors and individual factors also affect the cooperation of researchers in virtual academic communities. The conclusion suggests that the virtual academic communities need to establish and improve management norms and trust mechanisms, and also need to refine and improve the forum section and community incentives.