This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Discipline | Computer science, formal methods |
---|---|
Language | English |
Edited by | Jim Woodcock, Cliff Jones |
Publication details | |
History | 1989–present |
Publisher | |
Frequency | Quarterly |
1.4 (2023) | |
Standard abbreviations | |
ISO 4 | Form. Asp. Comput. |
Indexing | |
ISSN | 0934-5043 (print) 1433-299X (web) |
OCLC no. | 42939863 |
Links | |
Formal Aspects of Computing (FAC) is a peer-reviewed Gold Open Access journal published by Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and BCS (the British Computer Society, the Chartered Institute for IT). The journal is closely associated with Formal Methods Europe.
A comment from Christopher Strachey inspired the journal:
"Much of the practical work done in computing, both in software and hardware design, could be better because the people who do it need to understand the fundamental design principles of their work clearly. Most abstract mathematical and theoretical work is sterile because it has no point of contact with real computing."
Strachey called for an end to the artificial and injurious separation of practical and theoretical work in programming.
Formal Aspects of Computing was founded in 1989 by the BCS in an initiative led by John Cooke, Dan Simpson, and Cliff Jones, all of whom were members of the BCS Formal Aspects of Computing specialist group. Cliff Jones was the founding editor, and Springer was the initial publisher. Cliff Jones was editor-in-chief from 1989 to 2007. Jim Woodcock is the current EIC, having taken over in 2007.
Formal Aspects of Computing publishes contributions at the junction of theory and practice. The principal aim of FAC is to promote the growth of computing science, show its relation to practice, and stimulate applications of appropriate formalisms to practical problems. One significant challenge is to show how a range of formal models can be related to each other. In particular, the scope of Formal Aspects of Computing includes,
Jim Woodcock is the current editor-in-chief. According to the Journal Citation Reports , the journal has a 2023 impact factor of 1.4.
The journal welcomes contributions in addition to research papers. These include the following.
The Z notation is a formal specification language used for describing and modelling computing systems. It is targeted at the clear specification of computer programs and computer-based systems in general.
Sir Charles Antony Richard Hoare also known as Tony Hoare or by his initials C. A. R. Hoare is a British computer scientist who has made foundational contributions to programming languages, algorithms, operating systems, formal verification, and concurrent computing. His work earned him the Turing Award, usually regarded as the highest distinction in computer science, in 1980.
In computer science, formal methods are mathematically rigorous techniques for the specification, development, analysis, and verification of software and hardware systems. The use of formal methods for software and hardware design is motivated by the expectation that, as in other engineering disciplines, performing appropriate mathematical analysis can contribute to the reliability and robustness of a design.
Computer science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. One well known subject classification system for computer science is the ACM Computing Classification System devised by the Association for Computing Machinery.
The Programming Research Group (PRG) was part of the Oxford University Computing Laboratory (OUCL) in Oxford, England, along with the Numerical Analysis Group, until OUCL became the Department of Computer Science in 2011.
Peter John Landin was a British computer scientist. He was one of the first to realise that the lambda calculus could be used to model a programming language, an insight that is essential to the development of both functional programming and denotational semantics.
Jonathan P. Bowen FBCS FRSA is a British computer scientist and an Emeritus Professor at London South Bank University, where he headed the Centre for Applied Formal Methods. Prof. Bowen is also the Chairman of Museophile Limited and an adjunct professor at Southwest University in Chongqing, China. He has been a Professor of Computer Science at Birmingham City University, Visiting Professor at the Pratt Institute, University of Westminster and King's College London, and a visiting academic at University College London.
The B method is a method of software development based on B, a tool-supported formal method based on an abstract machine notation, used in the development of computer software.
Clifford "Cliff" B. Jones is a British computer scientist, specializing in research into formal methods. He undertook a late DPhil at the Oxford University Computing Laboratory under Tony Hoare, awarded in 1981. Jones' thesis proposed an extension to Hoare logic for handling concurrent programs, rely/guarantee.
BCS-FACS is the BCS Formal Aspects of Computing Science Specialist Group.
John S. Fitzgerald FBCS is a British computer scientist. He is a professor at Newcastle University. He was the head of the School of Computing before taking on the role of Dean of Strategic Projects in the university’s Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering. His research interests are in the area of dependable computer systems and formal methods, with a background in the VDM. He is a former Chair of Formal Methods Europe and committee member of BCS-FACS.
James Charles Paul Woodcock is a British computer scientist.
Jeannette Marie Wing is Avanessians Director of the Data Science Institute at Columbia University, where she is also a professor of computer science. Until June 30, 2017, she was Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Research with oversight of its core research laboratories around the world and Microsoft Research Connections. Prior to 2013, she was the President's Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. She also served as assistant director for Computer and Information Science and Engineering at the NSF from 2007 to 2010. She was appointed the Columbia University executive vice president for research in 2021.
Rajeev Alur is an American professor of computer science at the University of Pennsylvania who has made contributions to formal methods, programming languages, and automata theory, including notably the introduction of timed automata and nested words.
Willibrordus Martinus Pancratius van der Aalst is a Dutch computer scientist and full professor at RWTH Aachen University, leading the Process and Data Science (PADS) group. His research and teaching interests include information systems, workflow management, Petri nets, process mining, specification languages, and simulation. He is also known for his work on workflow patterns.
Professor Martin C. Henson FBCS FRSA is an English computer scientist based at the University of Essex. He is dean for international affairs and is affiliated to the School of Computer Science & Electronic Engineering. Henson was head of the department of computer science from 2000 to 2006.
Steve Reeves is a computer scientist based at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. He has been in the various roles of Associate Dean, Programme Co-ordinator and Head of Department of Software Engineering. He has undertaken research work on the Z notation, formal methods for GUI design, a general theory of refinement and logic for veracity.
Sergiy A. Vilkomir was a Ukrainian-born computer scientist.
Tim Denvir is a British software engineer, specialising in formal methods.