Current, Pending and Ongoing Research

Dines Bjørner, Professor Emeritus, Bldg. 322

DTU Informatics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs.Lyngby, Denmark

March 9, 2012. E-Mail: bjorner@gmail.com, URL: www.imm.dtu.dk/~db

Abstract:

I bring a brief summary of my current, pending and ongoing research.

• The survey of 'pending and ongoing' research is divided into four "fuzzily" overlapping areas:
  • Experiments - mostly [R]eports
  • Methodology - mostly [P]ublished papers
  • Theory - mostly [P]ublished papers
  • [L]ecture [N]otes - all Web-based and with lecture [S]lides
• Roughly,
  • experimental work and reports precede work on methodology;
  • methodology and theory work goes hand-in-hand; and
  • the writing of lecture notes, which usually illustrate "larger" examples, goes hand-in-hand with experimental work.
• I intend to pursue work within all (four) areas.
• My work has a common denominator: Domain Science & Engineering.
  • I have shown how domain engineering is a possible, and I claim
    necessary prerequisite for requirements engineering.
  • I have, so far, "endowed" both domain and requirements
    engineering with a number of new techniques.
  • These, I claim, are worth further study.
  • On the background of very extensive explorative work,
    see Sect.  Experimental Research , and on the background.
    also, of very extensive MSc and PhD lecturing around the world,
    see Sect.  Recent PhD Lectures, I and my students
    claim that separating domain from requirements engineering
    and thoroughly analysing domains before their requirements,
    appears to inspire innovation .

My home page.

Contents

• Current Research
• Experimental Research
• Methodology Research
• Theory Research
• Lecture Notes
• Recent PhD Lectures
• References
• Formal Method Links

Current Research

• Currently I am working on four problems
  (1 ongoing, 1 starting up, 2 almost finished):
  • Towards a Theory of Domain Descriptions
    Research Notes.
    Ongoing work.
  • Issues in Modelling Oil/Gas Pipelines
    This is going to be a rewrite of the Pipelines report.
    Work is just starting up.
    I intend to seek help from fluid dynamics researchers.
  • Mereology:
    A Rôle for Mereology in Domain Science and Engineering.
    Invited paper for a book in the Springer Synthese series.
    Eds. Claudio Calosi and Pierluigi Graziani.
    First complete version went to the editors February 21, 2012.
  • Computation for Humanity. IT to Advance Society
    Domain Science & Engineering: A Foundation for Computation for Humanity..
    Invited paper for a book in the series:
    Computational Analysis, Synthesis, and Design of Dynamic Systems.
    Eds. Justyna Zander and Pieter Mosterman.
    First complete version went to the editors January 15, 2012.
• I am ready,
  • with colleagues anywhere
    • to show them how to apply domain engineering to to their research topics
    • and to further study domain science; and
  • with colleagues at DTU Informatics (and elsewhere)
    • to study relations between Algebraic and Model-oriented Specification Methods,
      Agile Methods, Component Systems, Customer Relationship Management, Extreme
      Programming, Model-oriented Development, Mobile Systems, Software
      Engineering Methods for Hypermedia Systems, etcetera, etcetera;
    • to contribute to the SE groups' funded projects --
      especially the recent railway project, if possible; and
    • to contribute to DTU Informatics' seminar and colloquium programme.

Experimental Research

Experimental research is a combination of applied research and explorative engineering.

Experimental research reports serve as basis for the "discovery" of both methodology and scientific issues.

Further innovation-oriented work on the below topics, with MSc and PhD students,
should lead to 1-2 papers per topic.

1. [R] Pipelines:
   - technical notes (2009) -
   • This work need [far] more work, also from the point of view
     of real-time embedded and safety critical systems.
   • It should give MSc/PhD students an opportunity for exciting examples.
   • Could be the basis for one or more MSc Thesis projects.
   • I intend to contact Fluid DTU: Center for Fluid Dynamics to perhaps interest them ?
   • Could be the basis for several innovation s.
2. [R] MITS: Models of IT Security:
   Security Rules & Regulations: An Interpretation (2006)
   • Could be the basis for one or more MSc Thesis projects.
   • Could be the basis for several innovation s.
3. [R] What is Logistics ?
   A Domain Analysis (2009)
   • A basis has been laid.
   • Allocation and scheduling is next - and straightforward
     as the description must be property-oriented, not algorithmic.
   • I intend to contact MM colleagues in Bldgs. 305 and 321.
   • Maybe they can facilitate contact to a large Danish logistics company.
   • Could be the basis for several innovation s.
4. [R] Web-based Systems:
   A Window-accessible "Relational" Transaction Processing System (2010)
   • On one hand a real "get your fingers dirty" systems engineering possibility.
   • On the other had: a possible implementation would really challenge
     Logic & Algorithms researchers.
   • Could be the basis for Internet-related innovation s.
5. [R] License Languages:
   - three examples (2006) -
   • 2006 work led to 2 MSc Thesis and 2+ PhD Theses (JAIST, Japan)
   • The Hospital/Health Care Language should be further studied.
   • As should the Public Administration Language.
   • In fact one ought study What is a Document ?
   • Could be the basis for one or more MSc Thesis projects.
6. [R] "Maersk Line":
   A Container Line Industry Domain (2007)
   • Could be the basis for one or more MSc Thesis projects.
   • I intend to contact colleagues in Bldgs. 305 and 321.
   • Maybe they can facilitate contact to a large Danish container line.
   • Could be the basis for several innovation s.
7. [R] Transport Networks: - the Nancy lectures (2007) -
   • The three sets of lecture notes mentioned below all
     have very extensive examples based on transportation.
   • Could be the basis for several innovation s.
8. [R] Railway / Train Systems
   DTU Informatics has a long "tradition" in analysing this area.
   Reference is made to "innumerable" publications and reports:
   • The Grand Challenge -- FAQs of the R&D of a Railway Domain Theory
   • Railway Staff Rostering
   • Train Maintenance Routing
   • A Survey of Techniques Related to Railway Systems
   • Dynamics of Railway Nets
   • TRain: The Railway Domain
   • Towards a TRain Book
   • Formal Software Techniques for Railway Systems
   • All-day Tutorial at IFIP 1998 World Congress, Budapest
   • A Railway System:
   • Scheduling and rescheduling of trains
   In connection with the Software Engineering (DTU Informatics) group's
   recently acquired Danish multi-consortia Railway/Train project it might be worthwhile
   to gather the above material into a comprehensive railway domain model
   for the research of that Danish projects' participating partners.
   Reference is made to Dr. Anne Elisabeth Haxthausen's Home Page.
9. [R] Financial Services Industry:
   • General Survey (2008)
   • The Tokyo Stock Exchange Trading Rules (2010)
   • Could be the basis for several innovation s.
10. [P] Air Traffic:
    - the Brisbane paper (1995) -
    • Much more work need be done.
    • Could be the basis for several innovation s.
11. [P] The "Market":
    Consumers, Retailers, Wholesalers, Producers
    • Should be extended to
      • the supply chain,
      • the payment chain and
      • various auction forms (Dutch etc.).
    • Much more work need be done
      some of it along ideas of modal logics.
    • Could be the basis for several innovation s.

To do this work with MSc and PhD students
firstly requires access to these students,
secondly requires that I give them some lectures.
Without that, no reports and papers can result.

Methodology Research

Methodology reports and papers outline "how to" develop domain descriptions and thereby related requirements prescriptions.

1. [P] From Domain to Requirements
   - the Ugo Montanari Festschrift paper (2008) -
2. [P] Rôle of Domain Engineering in Software Development
   or: Why Current Requirements Engineering May Be Flawed !
3. [P] Domains: Their [Demo] Simulation, Monitoring and Control
   - the Hermann Maurer Festschrift paper(2010) -

• More work need be done wrt. facets of domain
• More work need be done wrt. domain-to-requirements operations
• More work need be done wrt. interface requirements techniques
• More work need be done wrt. demos, simulators, interpreters

One cannot expect innovations in connection with methodology research.

Theory Research

Theory reports and papers outline "what" lies behind domains, domain descriptions, "derived" requirements, etcetera.

• For all of the below-listed papers/reports
  • more work need be done wrt. theory-foundation
  • etcetera.

1. [R] Towards a Theory of Domain Descriptions
   - research notes (2011) - and - 2008 pre-cursor-
2. [P] Domain Science & Engineering
   From Computer Science to the Sciences of Informatics
   the 2010 Ukrainian Academy paper
3. [P] Mereology
   A Role for Mereology in Domain Science and Engineering
4. [P] Compositionality: Ontology and Mereology of Domains
   - the Willem Paul de Rover Festschrift paper(2010) -
5. [P] Domain Theory: Practices and Theories
   Discussion of Possible Research Topics - the ICTAC paper (2007)
6. [P] Domain Engineering
   - the BCS book paper (2009) -

One cannot expect innovations in connection with theory research.

Lecture Notes

1. From Domains to Requirements
   Methodology Contributions to Domain Analysis and Requirements Engineering (2010)
2. [LN,S] From Domains to Requirements
   The Triptych Approach to Software Engineering (Aug. 2009) - slides
3. [LN,S] Domain Engineering
   2008-2009 - slides

Recent PhD Lectures

2010	Late Fall	Uppsala Univ.,	Lars-Henrik Eriksson	lhe@it.uu.se
2010	Early Fall	Eötvös Loránd Univ., Budapest	Kozma László	kozma@ludens.elte.hu
2010	Spring	Techn. Univ. of Vienna	Jens Knoop	knoop@complang.tuwien.ac.at
2009	Late Fall	Univ. of Tokyo	Tetsuo Tamai	tamai@graco.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp
2009	Early Fall	Univ. of Edinburgh	Alan Bundy	bundy@staffmail.ed.ac.uk
2009	Spring	Univ. of Saarland	Wolfgang J. Paul	wjp@cs.uni-sb.de
2008	Fall	Techn.Univ. of Graz	Franz Wotawa	fwotawa@ist.tugraz.at
2007	Fall	Univ.Henri Poincare, Nancy	Dominique Méry	Dominique.Mery@loria.fr
2006	Spring & Fall	JAIST, Kanazawa	Kokichi Futatsugi	kokichi@jaist.ac.jp
2004-5	Fall & Spring	National University of Singapore	Jin Song Dong	dongjs1@gmail.com

References

• For a survey of my research Click this !
• For a survey of my publications Click here ! and Click there !
• For my CV Click this !

Formal Method Links

To me a method

• is a set of principles, techniques and tool
• for analysing problems and synthesising solutions to these.

A formal (software engineering) method is one

• whose techniques and tools are based on mathematics
• and whose principles while honouring the mathematical techniques and tools
  apply these in sound engineering ways.

  Cf. Dines Bjørner. The Triptych Process Model: Believable Software Management.
  Encyclopedia of Software Engineering, 2 vols.
  Published: November 24, 2010 by Auerbach Publications, 1,522 Pages.
  Editor:Phillip A. Laplante, The Pennsylvania State University, Malvern, USA

I do not like the term 'formal method'.
I prefer the terms 'formal techniques and tools'.
Despite that, I bring here a number of references to
Web-pages on 'Formal Methods' (in software engineering).

• Formal Methods Europe
• US NASA Formal Methods Home Page
• Jonathan Bowen's FM Page

Of course, I could not dream of developing software
that was to be used by others
or for whose results may influence me or others
unless some systematic, rigorous or formal use was made of one or more formal methods.

And, of course, i cannot think of a university curriculum in Software Engineering
which did not depend heavily, across all its courses,
on teaching and using a number of formal methods.

But, sadly, I almost only witness such university curricula !

...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...

About this document ...

Current, Pending and Ongoing Research

This document was generated using the LaTeX2HTML translator Version 2002-2-1 (1.71)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, Nikos Drakos, Computer Based Learning Unit, University of Leeds.
Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, Ross Moore, Mathematics Department, Macquarie University, Sydney.

The command line arguments were:
latex2html -split 0 -toc_depth 6 paow

The translation was initiated by Dines Bjorner on 2012-03-09