| Mark Tarver 2007-10-28, 7:13 pm |
| On 25 Oct, 16:53, Paul.B...@googlemail.com wrote:
> (Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this announcement)
>
> <<< PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE >>>
> <<< THE EVENT WILL BE HELD AT THE >>>
> <<< LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY >>>
> <<<
>
> <<<http://www.lms.ac.uk/contact/map.html >>>
>
> BCS-FACS Evening Seminar -- Joint event with the London Mathematical
> Society
>
> Games, Interaction and Computation
>
> Prof. Samson Abramsky
> Oxford University
>
> 5 November 2007
>
> 5.45pm
>
> De Morgan House
> 57-58 Russell Square
> London
> WC1B 4HS
>
> http://www.lms.ac.uk/contact/map.html
>
> Abstract
>
> Our current understanding of computation has widened enormously beyond
> the original `closed world' picture of numerical calculation in
> isolation from the environment. In the age of the Internet and the
> Web, and now of pervasive and ubiquitous computing, we see that
> *interaction* and *information flow* between multiple *agents* are
> essential features of computation. This has required the development
> of novel mathematical models of interactive computation. One of the
> compelling ideas which has taken root is to view programs as
> *strategies* for playing a `game of interaction' with an environment
> or context. This has led to a substantial development of Game
> Semantics over the past 15 years, and some striking results, notably
> the first `fully abstract' models for a range of increasingly
> sophisticated programming languages.
>
> The subject is rich both mathematically and computationally. From the
> mathematical point of view, there are new categories of game and
> strategies, with strikingly novel properties, which yield new insights
> e.g. into the constructions of free models of various important
> theories. Computationally, the ideas of Game Semantics have been
> developed in an algorithmic direction, yielding new approaches to
> compositional model-checking and analysis for programs with state,
> concurrency, probability and other features.
>
> In this seminar we will provide an introduction to and overview of
> these developments, emphasizing the key concepts and intuitions rather
> than the technical details.
>
> 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.B...@googlemail.com] by
>
>
> Directions on how to get to venue:
>
> http://www.lms.ac.uk/contact/map.html
>
> BCS-FACS website:
>
> http://www.bcs-facs.org
>
> LMS website:
>
> http://www.lms.ac.uk
>
> Evening Seminars:
>
> http://www.bcs-facs.org/events
Very interesting vis a vis the ongoing discussion on the adequacy or
otherwise of traditional models of computing. I think Professor
Abramsky is thinking on the right lines.
However November 5th is fireworks night and I will be watching them in
the park rather than in the seminar room ;).
Mark
|