CfP: 12th International Conference on Tests & Proofs (TAP 2018)
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12th International Conference on Tests & Proofs (TAP 2018)
Part of the STAF Event 2018 (parallel ECMFA, ICGT, ICMT, SEFM, TAP, TTC)
Purpose and scope
The TAP conference promotes research in verification and formal methods that targets the interplay of proofs and testing: the advancement of techniques of each kind and their combination, with the ultimate goal of improving software and system dependability.
Research in verification has recently seen a steady convergence of heterogeneous techniques and a synergy between the traditionally distinct areas of testing (and dynamic analysis) and of proving (and static analysis). Formal techniques for counter-example generation based on, for example, symbolic execution, SAT/SMT-solving or model checking, furnish evidence for the potential of a combination of test and proof. The combination of predicate abstraction with testing-like techniques based on exhaustive enumeration opens the perspective for novel techniques of proving correctness. On the practical side, testing offers cost-effective debugging techniques of specifications or crucial parts of program proofs (such as invariants). Last but not least, testing is indispensable when it comes to the validation of the underlying assumptions of complex system models involving hardware and/or system environments. Over the years, there is growing acceptance in research communities that testing and proving are complementary rather than mutually exclusive techniques.
The TAP conference aims to promote research in the intersection of testing and proving by bringing together researchers and practitioners from both areas of verification.
Important Dates
- Abstract: 4 March 2018 (extended deadline)
- Paper: 11 March 2018 (extended deadline)
- Notification: 9 April 2018
- Camera-Ready Version: 23 April 2018
- Conference: 27-29 June 2018
Topics of Interest
TAP's scope encompasses many aspects of verification technology, including foundational work, tool development, and empirical research. Its topics of interest center around the connection between proofs (and other static techniques) and testing (and other dynamic techniques). Papers are solicited on, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Verification and analysis techniques combining proofs and tests
- Program proving with the aid of testing techniques
- Deductive techniques supporting the automated generation of test vectors and oracles (theorem proving, model checking, symbolic execution, SAT/SMT solving, constraint logic programming, etc.)
- Deductive techniques supporting novel definitions of coverage criteria,
- Program analysis techniques combining static and dynamic analysis
- Specification inference by deductive and dynamic methods
- Testing and runtime analysis of formal specifications
- Search-based technics for proving and testing
- Verification of verification tools and environments
- Applications of test and proof techniques in new domains, such as security, configuration management, learning
- Combined approaches of test and proof in the context of formal certifications (Common Criteria, CENELEC, ...)
- Case studies, tool and framework descriptions, and experience reports about combining tests and proofs
Submission Instructions
TAP 2018 accepts papers of three kinds:
- Regular research papers: full submissions describing original research, of up to 16 pages (excluding references).
- Tool demonstration papers: submissions describing the design and implementation of an analysis/verification tool or framework, of up to 8 pages (excluding references). The tool/framework described in a tool demonstration paper should be available for public use.
- Short papers: submissions describing preliminary findings, proofs of concepts, and exploratory studies, of up to 6 pages (excluding references).
We are planning to publish the proceedings in the Formal Methods subline of Springer's LNCS series. Papers must be submitted in PDF format at the EasyChair submission site:
https://easychair.org/account/signin.cgi?key=67189553.nYBAm5CK4ld5IAzG
Definitive submissions for accepted papers should follow the publication format of the Springer LNCS. See guidelines and templates (Word, LaTeX, FrameMaker) at http://www.springer.com. We recommend that you use this format for preparing your initial submission. The maximum number of pages is based on this format.
Program Chairs
- Catherine Dubois, dubois@ensiie.fr ENSIIE-Samovar
- Burkhart Wolff, Burkhart.Wolff@lri.fr Univ Paris-Sud
Program Committee
- Bernhard K. Aichernig, TU Graz
- Bernhard Beckert, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
- Jasmin Christian Blanchette, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- Achim D. Brucker, The University of Sheffield
- Carlo A. Furia, Chalmers University of Technology
- Angelo Gargantini, University of Bergamo
- Alain Giorgetti, FEMTO-ST, University Franche-Comte
- Martin Gogolla, University of Bremen
- Arnaud Gotlieb, SIMULA Research Laboratory, Norway
- Reiner Hahnle, TU Darmstadt
- Klaus Havelund, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Rob Hierons, Brunel University London
- Thierry Jeron, INRIA Rennes
- Moa Johansson, Chalmers University of Technology
- Chantal Keller, LRI, Universite Paris-Sud
- Nikolai Kosmatov, CEA List, France
- Laura Kovacs, TU Wien
- Tanja Mayerhofer, Vienna University of Technology
- Karl Meinke, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
- Corina Pasareanu, CMU/NASA Ames Research Center
- Alexandre Petrenko, Computer Research Institute of Montreal
- Martina Seidl, Johannes Kepler University Linz
- Helene Waeselynck, LAAS-CNRS, Toulouse