Abstract

Bigraphs model the structure of large systems and how they behave in both space and time. They aim to support the analysis of both man-made and natural systems with a significant informatic element.

The von Neumann machine models calculation, a specialised aspect of such systems. It begs a model of the whole that specialises to calculation. Such a model must evolve by collaboration between application experts and computer scientists.

The bigraph model is stable but open to influence. It subsumes process calculi, and is entering a phase of experiment in the field. This talk responds to challenges from biology and from built environments, and shows how calculation fits neatly into the model.

Bigraphs have developed over a decade, and owe much to ex-colleagues Jamey Leifer and Ole Hogh Jensen and to pioneering work at the ITU Copenhagen.