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SUMMARY:Colonies of Synchronizing Agents: Computability and Robustness - R
 adu Mardare\, CoSBi
DTSTART:20081118T140000Z
DTEND:20081118T150000Z
UID:TALK14742@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Fabien Petitcolas
DESCRIPTION:*Abstract*: We introduce a modelling framework and computation
 al paradigm called Colonies of Synchronizing Agents (CSAs)\, which abstrac
 ts intracellular and intercellular mechanisms of biological tissues. The m
 odel is based on a multiset of agents (cells) in a common environment (a t
 issue). Each agent has a local content\, stored in the form of a multiset 
 of atomic objects (e.g.\, representing molecules)\, updated by multiset re
 writing rules which may act on individual agents (intracellular action) or
  synchronize the contents of pairs of agents (intercellular action).\n\nTh
 e talk focuses on the dynamics of CSAs with a special interest in defining
  and proving various types of robustness. We show that the notion of robus
 tness relies on a notion of bisimulation on colonies. We characterize the 
 concept logically. The algebraic/coalgebraic structure of the CSAs allows 
 playing with various types of modal logics\, each supporting a specific no
 tion of robustness. For some of them we will show decidability results.\n\
 n*Biography*: Radu Mardare received his PhD in Computer Science in March 2
 006\, from DIT\, University of Trento (Italy)\, with a thesis on Modal Log
 ics for concurrent-distributed systems. Mardare holds a Master’s of Scie
 nce in Logic (Bucharest University\, Romania\, 2002)\, with a thesis on Mo
 del Theory. He holds two bachelor degrees: one in Mathematics (1997\, "Al.
 I. Cuza" University\, Iasi\, Romania)\, with a thesis on Set Theory\, and 
 one in Philosophy (2001\, Bucharest University\, Romania)\, with a thesis 
 on Ontology of Mathematics. Until October 2006 Mardare was a postdoctoral 
 researcher at DIT\, University of Trento. Mardare's most recent research i
 s on logics for concurrent-distributed (multi-agent) systems. The general 
 problem has to do with modelling and reasoning about information flow and 
 information exchange between spatially located (but potentially mobile)\, 
 interconnected agents having potential applications in Systems Biology (st
 udying interrelations between biological agents)\, Secure Communication (c
 hecking secrecy and authentication for given communication protocols)\, Ar
 tificial Intelligence (endowing artificial agents with good and flexible t
 ools to reason about their changing environment and about each other)\, de
 signing and improving strategies for knowledge acquisition over complex ne
 tworks (such as the Internet)\, etc. The main thrust of Mardare's research
  has been in the direction of finding decidable and completely axiomatised
  logics for  process semantics.
LOCATION:Small public lecture room\, Microsoft Research Ltd\, 7 J J Thomso
 n Avenue (Off Madingley Road)\, Cambridge
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