Reversible Computation: Extending Horizons of Computing

This open access State-of-the-Art Survey presents the main recent scientific outcomes in the area of reversible computation, focusing on those that have emerged during COST Action IC1405 "Reversible Computation - Extending Horizons of Computing", a European research network that operated from May 2015 to April 2019. Reversible computation is a new paradigm that extends the traditional forwards-only mode of computation with the ability to execute in reverse, so that computation can run backwards as easily and naturally as forwards. It aims to deliver novel computing devices and software, and to enhance existing systems by equipping them with reversibility. There are many potential applications of reversible computation, including languages and software tools for reliable and recovery-oriented distributed systems and revolutionary reversible logic gates and circuits, but they can only be realized and have lasting effect if conceptual and firm theoretical foundations are established first

Formal Methods for Constraint-Based Testing and Reversible Debugging in Erlang

Tesis por compendio[ES] Erlang es un lenguaje de programación funcional con concurrencia mediante paso de mensajes basado en el modelo de actores. Éstas y otras características lo hacen especialmente adecuado para aplicaciones distribuidas en tiempo real acrítico. En los últimos años, la popularidad de Erlang ha aumentado debido a la demanda de servicios concurrentes. No obstante, desarrollar sistemas Erlang libres de errores es un reto considerable. A pesar de que Erlang evita muchos problemas por diseño (por ejemplo, puntos muertos), algunos otros problemas pueden aparecer. En este contexto, las técnicas de testing y depuración basadas en métodos formales pueden ser útiles para detectar, localizar y arreglar errores de programación en Erlang. En esta tesis proponemos varios métodos para testing y depuración en Erlang. En particular, estos métodos están basados en modelos semánticos para concolic testing, pruebas basadas en propiedades, depuración reversible con consistencia causal y repetición reversible con consistencia causal de programas Erlang. Además, probamos formalmente las principales propiedades de nuestras propuestas y diseñamos herramientas de código abierto que implementan estos métodos.[CA] Erlang és un llenguatge de programació funcional amb concurrència mitjançant pas de missatges basat en el model d'actors. Estes i altres característiques el fan especialment adequat per a aplicacions distribuïdes en temps real acrític. En els últims anys, la popularitat d'Erlang ha augmentat degut a la demanda de servicis concurrents. No obstant, desenvolupar sistemes Erlang lliures d'errors és un repte considerable. Encara que Erlang evita molts problemes per disseny (per exemple, punts morts), alguns altres problemes poden aparéixer. En este context, les tècniques de testing y depuració basades en mètodes formals poden ser útils per a detectar, localitzar y arreglar errors de programació en Erlang. En esta tesis proposem diversos mètodes per a testing i depuració en Erlang. En particular, estos mètodes estan basats en models semàntics per a concolic testing, testing basat en propietats, depuració reversible amb consistència causal i repetició reversible amb consistència causal de programes Erlang. A més, provem formalment les principals propietats de les nostres propostes i dissenyem ferramentes de codi obert que implementen estos mètodes.[EN] Erlang is a message-passing concurrent, functional programming language based on the actor model. These and other features make it especially appropriate for distributed, soft real-time applications. In the recent years, Erlang's popularity has increased due to the demand for concurrent services. However, developing error-free systems in Erlang is quite a challenge. Although Erlang avoids many problems by design (e.g., deadlocks), some other problems may appear. Here, testing and debugging techniques based on formal methods may be helpful to detect, locate and fix programming errors in Erlang. In this thesis we propose several methods for testing and debugging in Erlang. In particular, these methods are based on semantics models for concolic testing, property-based testing, causal-consistent reversible debugging and causal-consistent replay debugging of Erlang programs. We formally prove the main properties of our proposals and design open-source tools that implement these methods.Palacios Corella, A. (2020). Formal Methods for Constraint-Based Testing and Reversible Debugging in Erlang [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/139076TESISCompendi

Reversible Computation: Extending Horizons of Computing

This open access State-of-the-Art Survey presents the main recent scientific outcomes in the area of reversible computation, focusing on those that have emerged during COST Action IC1405 "Reversible Computation - Extending Horizons of Computing", a European research network that operated from May 2015 to April 2019. Reversible computation is a new paradigm that extends the traditional forwards-only mode of computation with the ability to execute in reverse, so that computation can run backwards as easily and naturally as forwards. It aims to deliver novel computing devices and software, and to enhance existing systems by equipping them with reversibility. There are many potential applications of reversible computation, including languages and software tools for reliable and recovery-oriented distributed systems and revolutionary reversible logic gates and circuits, but they can only be realized and have lasting effect if conceptual and firm theoretical foundations are established first

Automating the transformation-based analysis of visual languages

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00165-009-0114-yWe present a novel approach for the automatic generation of model-to-model transformations given a description of the operational semantics of the source language in the form of graph transformation rules. The approach is geared to the generation of transformations from Domain-Specific Visual Languages (DSVLs) into semantic domains with an explicit notion of transition, like for example Petri nets. The generated transformation is expressed in the form of operational triple graph grammar rules that transform the static information (initial model) and the dynamics (source rules and their execution control structure). We illustrate these techniques with a DSVL in the domain of production systems, for which we generate a transformation into Petri nets. We also tackle the description of timing aspects in graph transformation rules, and its analysis through their automatic translation into Time Petri netsWork sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, project METEORIC (TIN2008-02081/TIN) and by the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

Spiking neural P systems: matrix representation and formal verification

YesStructural and behavioural properties of models are very important in development of complex systems and applications. In this paper, we investigate such properties for some classes of SN P systems. First, a class of SN P systems associated to a set of routing problems are investigated through their matrix representation. This allows to make certain connections amongst some of these problems. Secondly, the behavioural properties of these SN P systems are formally verified through a natural and direct mapping of these models into kP systems which are equipped with adequate formal verification methods and tools. Some examples are used to prove the effectiveness of the verification approach.EPSRC research grant EP/R043787/1; DOST-ERDT research grants; Semirara Mining Corp; UPD-OVCRD

Hypernet semantics of programming languages

Comparison is common practice in programming, even regarding a single programming language. One would ask if two programs behave the same, if one program runs faster than another, or if one run-time system produces the outcome of a program faster than another system. To answer these questions, it is essential to have a formal specification of program execution, with measures such as result and resource usage. This thesis proposes a semantical framework based on abstract machines that enables analysis of program execution cost and direct proof of program equivalence. These abstract machines are inspired by Girard’s Geometry of Interaction, and model program execution as dynamic rewriting of graph representation of a program, guided and controlled by a dedicated object (token) of the graph. The graph representation yields fine control over resource usage, and moreover, the concept of locality in analysing program execution. As a result, this framework enjoys novel flexibility, with which various evaluation strategies and language features, whether they are effects or not, can be modelled and analysed in a uniform way