FM 2016

FM 2016: 21st International Symposium on Formal Methods

FM 2016 is the latest in a series of symposia organized by Formal Methods Europe, an independent association that encourages the use of, and research on, formal methods for the engineering of computer-based systems and software. The symposia have been notably successful in bringing together researchers and industrial users around a programme of original papers on research and industrial experience, workshops, tutorials, reports on tools, projects, and ongoing doctoral work.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Abstract submission deadline: 16 May 2016
• Full paper submission deadline: 30 May 2016
• Notification: 8 August 2016
• Conference: 7-11 November 2016

SCOPE AND TOPICS

FM 2016 will highlight the development and application of formal methods in a wide range of domains including software, computer-based systems, systems-of-systems, human interaction, manufacturing, sustainability, power, transport, cities, healthcare, and biology. We also welcome papers on experiences of formal methods in industry, and on the design and validation of formal methods tools.

FM 2016 encourages submissions on formal methods for developing and evaluating systems that interact with physical processes, and systems that use artificial intelligence technology. Examples include autonomous systems, robots, and cyber-physical systems in general. Applying formal methods to these systems of growing interest and importance is challenging because they exhibit much greater non-determinism than traditional systems, making them challenging to assure.

The broad topics of interest for FM 2016 include, but are not limited to:

• Interdisciplinary formal methods: Techniques, tools and experiences demonstrating formal methods in interdisciplinary frameworks.
• Formal methods in practice: Industrial applications of formal methods, experience with formal methods in industry, tool usage reports, experiments with challenge problems. Authors are encouraged to explain how formal methods overcame problems, led to improved designs, or provided new insights.
• Tools for formal methods: Advances in automated verification and model-checking, tools integration, environments for formal methods, and experimental validation of tools. Authors are encouraged to demonstrate empirically that the new tool or environment advances the state of the art.
• Role of formal methods in software and systems engineering: Development processes with formal methods, usage guidelines for formal methods, and method integration. Authors are encouraged to evaluate process innovations with respect to qualitative or quantitative improvements. Empirical studies and evaluations are also solicited.
• Theoretical foundations: All aspects of theory related to specification, verification, refinement, and static and dynamic analysis. Authors are encouraged to explain how their results contribute to the solution of practical problems with methods or tools.

CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS (TBA)
Extended versions of selected papers will be invited for publication in a special issue of one or more journals.
GENERAL CHAIR:

Anna Philippou, University of Cyprus, Cyprus

PROGRAMME CHAIRS:

John S Fitzgerald, Newcastle University, UK Constance L Heitmeyer, Naval Research Laboratory, USA Stefania Gnesi, CNR-ISTI, Italy

PROGRAM COMMITTEE (TBA)