Software

Evening Seminars Co-organ · Guest

(Apologies if you receive this announcement more than once)

BCS-FACS Evening Seminar

The Abstract State Machines Method for High-Level System Design and
Analysis

Professor Egon Borger, University of Pisa

21 March 2007
6pm start

BCS London Offices
First Floor,
The Davidson Building
5 Southampton Street
London WC2E 7HA

We try to answer the often asked question what is special about
the Abstract State Machines (ASM) Method as a practical and
scientifically well-founded systems engineering method, a method
that enables to construct computer-based systems in a certifiably
reliable and objectively controllable way, guiding the development
activities from requirements capture to their implementation and
thus bridging the gap between the two ends of system development:

the human understanding and formulation of real-world problems,
the deployment of their algorithmic solutions by code-executing
machines.

We illustrate the three constituents of the method, namely the
notions of ASM (generalizing FSMs by abstract states), of ASM
ground models (system blueprints) and of ASM refinements
(controlled introduction of details). Whereas ASM ground models
are accurate descriptions of requirements at an
application-domain-determined abstraction level that provide an
authoritative reference for the further system development
activities,
ASM refinements link more detailed descriptions at successive
development stages in an organic and effectively maintainable chain
of rigorous and coherent system models.

We explain how the method allows one to smoothly integrate into
best software engineering practice both mathematical rigour and a
consistent combination of system design and analysis (machine-
supportable
mathematical verification and experimental validation).

We highlight some outstanding applications of the method and
illustrate its uniformity by a comparison with Parnas' table technique
and
Abrial's Event-B machines.

Refreshments will be served from 5.15pm

The seminar is free of charge and open to everyone. If you would like
to attend, please email Paul Boca [ Paul.Boca@googlemail.com ]
by >>> 18 March 2007 <<<. Pre-registration is required, as security
at the BCS Offices is tight.

Location of the venue: http://www.bcs.org/upload/img/londonsscolour.jpg

FACS Evening Seminars: http://www.bcs-facs.org/events/EveningSeminars