International conference on software engineering and knowledge engineering: Session chair

The Thirtieth International Conference on Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering (SEKE 2018) will be held at the Hotel Pullman, San Francisco Bay, USA, from July 1 to July 3, 2018. SEKE2018 will also be dedicated in memory of Professor Lofti Zadeh, a great scholar, pioneer and leader in fuzzy sets theory and soft computing. The conference aims at bringing together experts in software engineering and knowledge engineering to discuss on relevant results in either software engineering or knowledge engineering or both. Special emphasis will be put on the transference of methods between both domains. The theme this year is soft computing in software engineering & knowledge engineering. Submission of papers and demos are both welcome

Collaborative Verification-Driven Engineering of Hybrid Systems

Hybrid systems with both discrete and continuous dynamics are an important model for real-world cyber-physical systems. The key challenge is to ensure their correct functioning w.r.t. safety requirements. Promising techniques to ensure safety seem to be model-driven engineering to develop hybrid systems in a well-defined and traceable manner, and formal verification to prove their correctness. Their combination forms the vision of verification-driven engineering. Often, hybrid systems are rather complex in that they require expertise from many domains (e.g., robotics, control systems, computer science, software engineering, and mechanical engineering). Moreover, despite the remarkable progress in automating formal verification of hybrid systems, the construction of proofs of complex systems often requires nontrivial human guidance, since hybrid systems verification tools solve undecidable problems. It is, thus, not uncommon for development and verification teams to consist of many players with diverse expertise. This paper introduces a verification-driven engineering toolset that extends our previous work on hybrid and arithmetic verification with tools for (i) graphical (UML) and textual modeling of hybrid systems, (ii) exchanging and comparing models and proofs, and (iii) managing verification tasks. This toolset makes it easier to tackle large-scale verification tasks

Early aspects: aspect-oriented requirements engineering and architecture design

This paper reports on the third Early Aspects: Aspect-Oriented Requirements Engineering and Architecture Design Workshop, which has been held in Lancaster, UK, on March 21, 2004. The workshop included a presentation session and working sessions in which the particular topics on early aspects were discussed. The primary goal of the workshop was to focus on challenges to defining methodical software development processes for aspects from early on in the software life cycle and explore the potential of proposed methods and techniques to scale up to industrial applications

A task-driven design model for collaborative AmI systems

Proceedings of the CAISE*06 Workshop on Ubiquitous Mobile Information and Collaboration Systems UMICS '06. Luxemburg, June 5-9, 2006.The proceedings of this workshop also appeared in printed version In T. Latour and M. Petit (eds), Proceedings of Workshops and Doctoral Consortium, The 18th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering - Trusted Information Systems (CAiSE'06), June 5-9, 2006, Presses Universitaires de Namur, 2006, ISBN 2-87037-525.Also published online by CEUR Workshop Proceedings (CEUR-WS.org, ISSN 1613-0073)Ambient intelligence (AmI) is a promising paradigm for humancentred interaction based on mobile and context-aware computing, natural interfaces and collaborative work. AMENITIES (a conceptual and methodological framework based on task-based models) has been specially devised for collaborative systems and is the starting point for a new design proposal for application to AmI systems. This paper proposes a task-based model for designing collaborative AmI systems, which attempts to gather the computational representation of the concepts involved (tasks, laws, etc.) and the relationships between them in order to develop a complete functional environment in relation with the features of AmI systems (collaborative, context-aware, dynamic, proactive, etc.). The research has been applied to an e-learning environment and is implemented using a blackboard model.This research is partially supported by a Spanish R&D Project TIN2004-03140, Ubiquitous Collaborative Adaptive Training (U-CAT)

Multi-Agent Systems

A multi-agent system (MAS) is a system composed of multiple interacting intelligent agents. Multi-agent systems can be used to solve problems which are difficult or impossible for an individual agent or monolithic system to solve. Agent systems are open and extensible systems that allow for the deployment of autonomous and proactive software components. Multi-agent systems have been brought up and used in several application domains

A requirements engineering framework for integrated systems development for the construction industry

Computer Integrated Construction (CIC) systems are computer environments through which collaborative working can be undertaken. Although many CIC systems have been developed to demonstrate the communication and collaboration within the construction projects, the uptake of CICs by the industry is still inadequate. This is mainly due to the fact that research methodologies of the CIC development projects are incomplete to bridge the technology transfer gap. Therefore, defining comprehensive methodologies for the development of these systems and their effective implementation on real construction projects is vital. Requirements Engineering (RE) can contribute to the effective uptake of these systems because it drives the systems development for the targeted audience. This paper proposes a requirements engineering approach for industry driven CIC systems development. While some CIC systems are investigated to build a broad and deep contextual knowledge in the area, the EU funded research project, DIVERCITY (Distributed Virtual Workspace for Enhancing Communication within the Construction Industry), is analysed as the main case study project because its requirements engineering approach has the potential to determine a framework for the adaptation of requirements engineering in order to contribute towards the uptake of CIC systems

Overview on agent-based social modelling and the use of formal languages

Transdisciplinary Models and Applications investigates a variety of programming languages used in validating and verifying models in order to assist in their eventual implementation. This book will explore different methods of evaluating and formalizing simulation models, enabling computer and industrial engineers, mathematicians, and students working with computer simulations to thoroughly understand the progression from simulation to product, improving the overall effectiveness of modeling systems.Postprint (author's final draft

Creating A New University Through Object Oriented Enterprise Modeling: A Study of Communications Knowledge Management & Distributed Cognition

Enterprise based object oriented (OO) and Unified Modeling Language (UML) modeling makes it possible to build the needed visual environments to organize people, technologies and activities (Arias, 1999d). In our modeling approach, the focus is on things and relationships between things described in commonly used terms. The modeling software bridges the so-called semantic gap between the people and the computer language (Booch, Rumbaugh & Jacobson, 1999). An object can be a product, a process, a person, a team, a company, an application or the inter-relationship between other objects. Objects can be pictured on the screen as maps formed by personalized “icons” with their relationships. Once a “map” of objects has been produced, users can navigate and visualize very complex relationships. Objects can hold data, such as cost, schedule data, weight and other relevant information (Zack & Serino, 1996). Another important property of an Object is its ability to perform work scripted in “methods.” Thus an Object can be given the capability to perform functions, such as performing computations, gathering data from other computers, showing video of servicing a part or accessing a 3D-CAD drawing for viewing. This “active model” is much more than a map for navigation in an abstract process model (Arias, 1999a). It becomes the actual work environment for individuals and teams. It creates an occasioned environment for learning, assessing issues and impacts, communication, configuration management and control and more. In short, it is the user interface or “ control center” from where to manage the organization (whether it be an institution of higher education or a corporation). UML technology allows us to model a complex enterprise, while OO technology builds on the former and generates complex applications. The point at which these two technologies meet becomes the intersection that enables planners and stakeholders to develop a new paradigm for looking not only at their organization, but also at precisely what their contributions are to the overall enterprise (Arias, 1998). In this paper we will present the use and design of object oriented enterprise computer models (OO) for the purposes of creating and/or transforming organizations. We will also provide proof of concept on how OO contributes to the reshaping of relationships among people and their organizations and, also, how OO can transform the processes of discovery, learning, research and communication through emerging forms of distributed cognition (Arias & Bellman, 1995)