NTCCRT: A concurrent constraint framework for soft-real time music interaction

Writing music interaction systems is not easy because their concurrent processes usually access shared resources in a non-deterministic order, often leading to unpredictable behavior. Using Pure Data (Pure Data) and Max/MSP, it is possible to program concurrency; however, it is difficult to synchronize processes based on multiple criteria. Process calculi such as the Non-deterministic Timed Concurrent Constraint (ntcc) calculus, overcome that problem by representing, declaratively, the synchronization of multiple criteria as constraints. In this article, we propose the framework Ntccrt, as a new alternative to manage concurrency in Pure Data and Max/MSP. Ntccrt is a real-time capable interpreter for ntcc. Using Ntccrt binary plugins in Pure Data, we executed models for machine improvisation and signal processing. We also analyzed two case studies: one of a machine improvisation system and one of a signal processing system. We found out that performance of both case studies is compatible with soft real-time music interaction; it means, a musician can interact with Ntccrt without noticeable delays during the interaction

Simulation and Verification in a Process Calculus for Spatially-Explicit Ecological Models

We propose PALPS, a Process Algebra with Locations for Population Systems. PALPS allows us to produce spatially-explicit individual-based ecological models and to reason about their behavior. PALPS has two abstraction levels: At the first level, we may define the behavior of an individual of a population and, at the second level, we may specify a system as the collection of individuals of various species located in space. In PALPS, the individuals move through their life cycle while changing their location and interact with each other in various ways such as predation, infection or mating. Furthermore, we propose a translation of a subset of PALPS into the probabilistic model checker PRISM. We illustrate our framework via models of dispersal in metapopulations and by applying PRISM on PALPS models for verifying temporal logic properties and conducting reachability and steady-state analysis