Automated Amortised Analysis

Steffen Jost researched a novel static program analysis that automatically infers formally guaranteed upper bounds on the use of compositional quantitative resources. The technique is based on the manual amortised complexity analysis. Inference is achieved through a type system annotated with linear constraints. Any solution to the collected constraints yields the coefficients of a formula, that expresses an upper bound on the resource consumption of a program through the sizes of its various inputs. The main result is the formal soundness proof of the proposed analysis for a functional language. The strictly evaluated language features higher-order types, full mutual recursion, nested data types, suspension of evaluation, and can deal with aliased data. The presentation focuses on heap space bounds. Extensions allowing the inference of bounds on stack space usage and worst-case execution time are demonstrated for several realistic program examples. These bounds were inferred by the created generic implementation of the technique. The implementation is highly efficient, and solves even large examples within seconds.Steffen Jost stellt eine neuartige statische Programmanalyse vor, welche vollautomatisch Schranken an den Verbrauch quantitativer Ressourcen berechnet. Die Grundidee basiert auf der Technik der Amortisierten Komplexitätsanalyse, deren nicht-triviale Automatisierung durch ein erweitertes Typsystem erreicht wird. Das Typsystem berechnet als Nebenprodukt ein lineares Gleichungssystem, dessen Lösungen Koeffizienten für lineare Formeln liefern. Diese Formeln stellen garantierte obere Schranken an den Speicher- oder Zeitverbrauch des analysierten Programms dar, in Abhängigkeit von den verschiedenen Eingabegrößen des Programms. Die Relevanz der einzelnen Eingabegrößen auf den Ressourcenverbrauch wird so deutlich beziffert. Die formale Korrektheit der Analyse wird für eine funktionale Programmiersprache bewiesen. Die strikte Sprache erlaubt: Typen höherer Ordnung, volle Rekursion, verschachtelte Datentypen, explizites Aufschieben der Auswertung und Aliasing. Die formale Beschreibung der Analyse befasst sich primär mit dem Verbrauch von dynamischen Speicherplatz. Für eine Reihe von realistischen Programmbeispielen wird demonstriert, dass die angefertigte generische Implementation auch gute Schranken an den Verbrauch von Stapelspeicher und der maximalen Ausführungszeit ermitteln kann. Die Analyse ist sehr effizient implementierbar, und behandelt auch größere Beispielprogramme vollständig in wenigen Sekunden

Sinti and Roma in German Concentration Camps: Old Problems and New Perspectives on a Neglected Field

The following abstract aims to discuss the historical situation of Sinti and Roma in the German concentration camp system. This is a draft for discussion, written as a basis for a lecture and not as a fully elaborated essay on the topic

Type-based cost analysis for lazy functional languages

We present a static analysis for determining the execution costs of lazily evaluated functional languages, such as Haskell. Time- and space-behaviour of lazy functional languages can be hard to predict, creating a significant barrier to their broader acceptance. This paper applies a type-based analysis employing amortisation and cost effects to statically determine upper bounds on evaluation costs. While amortisation performs well with finite recursive data, we significantly improve the precision of our analysis for co-recursive programs (i.e. dealing with potentially infinite data structures) by tracking self-references. Combining these two approaches gives a fully automatic static analysis for both recursive and co-recursive definitions. The analysis is formally proven correct against an operational semantic that features an exchangeable parametric cost-model. An arbitrary measure can be assigned to all syntactic constructs, allowing to bound, for example, evaluation steps, applications, allocations, etc. Moreover, automatic inference only relies on first-order unification and standard linear programming solving. Our publicly available implementation demonstrates the practicability of our technique on editable non-trivial examples.PostprintPeer reviewe

Temperature-driven transition from a semiconductor to a topological insulator

We report on a temperature-induced transition from a conventional semiconductor to a two-dimensional topological insulator investigated by means of magnetotransport experiments on HgTe/CdTe quantum well structures. At low temperatures, we are in the regime of the quantum spin Hall effect and observe an ambipolar quantized Hall resistance by tuning the Fermi energy through the bulk band gap. At room temperature, we find electron and hole conduction that can be described by a classical two-carrier model. Above the onset of quantized magnetotransport at low temperature, we observe a pronounced linear magnetoresistance that develops from a classical quadratic low-field magnetoresistance if electrons and holes coexist. Temperature-dependent bulk band structure calculations predict a transition from a conventional semiconductor to a topological insulator in the regime where the linear magnetoresistance occurs.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Safety assessment of the commensal strain Bacteroides xylanisolvens DSM 23964

AbstractWe recently isolated and characterized the new strain Bacteroides xylanisolvens DSM 23964 and presented it as potential candidate for the first natural probiotic strain of the genus Bacteroides. In order to evaluate the safety of this strain for use in food, the following standard toxicity assays were conducted with this strain in both viable and pasteurized form: in vitro bacterial reverse mutation assay, in vitro chromosomal aberration assay, and 90day subchronic repeated oral toxicity studies in mice. No mutagenic, clastogenic, or toxic effects were detected even at extremely high doses. In addition, no clinical, hematological, ophthalmological, or histopathological abnormality could be observed after necropsy at any of the doses tested. Hence, the NOAEL could be estimated to be greater than 2.3×1011 CFUs, and 2.3×1014 for pasteurized bacteria calculated as equivalent for an average 70kg human being. In addition, the absence of any in vivo pathogenic properties of viable B. xylanisolvens DSM 23964 cells was confirmed by means of an intraperitoneal abscess formation model in mice which also demonstrated that the bacteria are easily eradicated by the host’s immune system. The obtained results support the assumed safety of B. xylanisolvens DSM 23964 for use in food