Algebraic Stream Processing

We identify and analyse the typically higher-order approaches to stream processing in the literature. From this analysis we motivate an alternative approach to the specification of SPSs as STs based on an essentially first-order equational representation. This technique is called Cartesian form specification. More specifically, while STs are properly second-order objects we show that using Cartesian forms, the second-order models needed to formalise STs are so weak that we may use and develop well-understood first-order methods from computability theory and mathematical logic to reason about their properties. Indeed, we show that by specifying STs equationally in Cartesian form as primitive recursive functions we have the basis of a new, general purpose and mathematically sound theory of stream processing that emphasises the formal specification and formal verification of STs. The main topics that we address in the development of this theory are as follows. We present a theoretically well-founded general purpose stream processing language ASTRAL (Algebraic Stream TRAnsformer Language) that supports the use of modular specification techniques for full second-order STs. We show how ASTRAL specifications can be given a Cartesian form semantics using the language PREQ that is an equational characterisation of the primitive recursive functions. In more detail, we show that by compiling ASTRAL specifications into an equivalent Cartesian form in PREQ we can use first-order equational logic with induction as a logical calculus to reason about STs. In particular, using this calculus we identify a syntactic class of correctness statements for which the verification of ASTRAL programmes is decidable relative to this calculus. We define an effective algorithm based on term re-writing techniques to implement this calculus and hence to automatically verify a very broad class of STs including conventional hardware devices. Finally, we analyse the properties of this abstract algorithm as a proof assistant and discuss various techniques that have been adopted to develop software tools based on this algorithm

A unified framework for building ontological theories with application and testing in the field of clinical trials

The objective of this research programme is to contribute to the establishment of the emerging science of Formal Ontology in Information Systems via a collaborative project involving researchers from a range of disciplines including philosophy, logic, computer science, linguistics, and the medical sciences. The re­searchers will work together on the construction of a unified formal ontology, which means: a general framework for the construction of ontological theories in specific domains. The framework will be constructed using the axiomatic-deductive method of modern formal ontology. It will be tested via a series of applications relating to on-going work in Leipzig on medical taxonomies and data dictionaries in the context of clinical trials. This will lead to the production of a domain-specific ontology which is designed to serve as a basis for applications in the medical field

The use of data-mining for the automatic formation of tactics

This paper discusses the usse of data-mining for the automatic formation of tactics. It was presented at the Workshop on Computer-Supported Mathematical Theory Development held at IJCAR in 2004. The aim of this project is to evaluate the applicability of data-mining techniques to the automatic formation of tactics from large corpuses of proofs. We data-mine information from large proof corpuses to find commonly occurring patterns. These patterns are then evolved into tactics using genetic programming techniques

Towards a Precise Semantics for Object-Oriented Modeling Techniques

In this paper we present a possible way how a precise semantics of object oriented modeling techniques can be achieved and what the possible benefits are .We outline the main modeling techniques used in the SysLab project sketch how a precise semantics can be given and how this semantics can be used during the development process.Comment: 6 pages, 0 figure

Ontology-driven conceptual modeling: A'systematic literature mapping and review

All rights reserved. Ontology-driven conceptual modeling (ODCM) is still a relatively new research domain in the field of information systems and there is still much discussion on how the research in ODCM should be performed and what the focus of this research should be. Therefore, this article aims to critically survey the existing literature in order to assess the kind of research that has been performed over the years, analyze the nature of the research contributions and establish its current state of the art by positioning, evaluating and interpreting relevant research to date that is related to ODCM. To understand and identify any gaps and research opportunities, our literature study is composed of both a systematic mapping study and a systematic review study. The mapping study aims at structuring and classifying the area that is being investigated in order to give a general overview of the research that has been performed in the field. A review study on the other hand is a more thorough and rigorous inquiry and provides recommendations based on the strength of the found evidence. Our results indicate that there are several research gaps that should be addressed and we further composed several research opportunities that are possible areas for future research

Proceedings of International Workshop "Global Computing: Programming Environments, Languages, Security and Analysis of Systems"

According to the IST/ FET proactive initiative on GLOBAL COMPUTING, the goal is to obtain techniques (models, frameworks, methods, algorithms) for constructing systems that are flexible, dependable, secure, robust and efficient. The dominant concerns are not those of representing and manipulating data efficiently but rather those of handling the co-ordination and interaction, security, reliability, robustness, failure modes, and control of risk of the entities in the system and the overall design, description and performance of the system itself. Completely different paradigms of computer science may have to be developed to tackle these issues effectively. The research should concentrate on systems having the following characteristics: • The systems are composed of autonomous computational entities where activity is not centrally controlled, either because global control is impossible or impractical, or because the entities are created or controlled by different owners. • The computational entities are mobile, due to the movement of the physical platforms or by movement of the entity from one platform to another. • The configuration varies over time. For instance, the system is open to the introduction of new computational entities and likewise their deletion. The behaviour of the entities may vary over time. • The systems operate with incomplete information about the environment. For instance, information becomes rapidly out of date and mobility requires information about the environment to be discovered. The ultimate goal of the research action is to provide a solid scientific foundation for the design of such systems, and to lay the groundwork for achieving effective principles for building and analysing such systems. This workshop covers the aspects related to languages and programming environments as well as analysis of systems and resources involving 9 projects (AGILE , DART, DEGAS , MIKADO, MRG, MYTHS, PEPITO, PROFUNDIS, SECURE) out of the 13 founded under the initiative. After an year from the start of the projects, the goal of the workshop is to fix the state of the art on the topics covered by the two clusters related to programming environments and analysis of systems as well as to devise strategies and new ideas to profitably continue the research effort towards the overall objective of the initiative. We acknowledge the Dipartimento di Informatica and Tlc of the University of Trento, the Comune di Rovereto, the project DEGAS for partially funding the event and the Events and Meetings Office of the University of Trento for the valuable collaboration