If we think Ada is the answer for Safety Critical software, we need to have
Ada representation at events like FM'99 described below.  Has anyone worked
with formal methods & Ada in a safety-critical domain?  I infer from the
announcement below that the closer role of the programming language (like
Ada) in providing assurances such as do specification languages hasn't even
occurred to the event organizers.

JOHN McCORMICK:  Do you think it makes sense to post this to
SIGAda-Announce?  --Hal


>From: "Robin Bloomfield" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: (SEWORLD) Safety and formal methods
>Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 15:28:22 -0000
>Sender: [log in to unmask]
>Precedence: bulk
>
>
>At the world congress on formal methods, FM'99 (see
>http://www.cert.fr/fm99/cadres159.htm)  there will be a minitrack on safety
>organized by the EWICS Formal Methods Group, FME and ENCRESS.
>
>We invite papers on formal methods and their relationship either to specific
>parts of the safety lifecycle or to broader issues (e.g. safety cases, cost
>modelling). Formal methods can be applied throughout the safety lifecycle.
>The following gives an indication of possible topics:
>
>    safety requirements  -- use of hybrid models, semantics of safety
>analysis techniques, model building and checking
>
>    architecture -- model of failure modes and redundancy, fault tolerant
>algorithms, modelling of failures
>
>    specification --use of specification languages, code generation from
>specifications
>
>    design -- adding assurance to domain specific languages
>
>    code verification and development -- verification using proof,
>relationship of proof to testing
>
>    validation -- use of oracles
>
>    maintenance -- impact analysis and regeneration of evidence,
>reengineering of legacy code
>
>
>We intend to balance the programme with  papers on specific advances in
>these topics, industrial applications,  survey or review papers and  shorter
>reports of work in progress or of user needs that would form the basis for
>short 7min presentations.
>
>Just after FM99 is Safecomp99 (see http://www.laas.fr/safecomp) an
>established annual conference on all issues associated with the use of
>computers in safety applications. The proceedings of Safecomp 99 will also
>be published by Springer in the LNCS series. Please indicate whether you
>would like your paper to be considered for Safecomp as well as the
>minitrack.
>
>Not only will accepted papers be part of the LNCS FM99 or Safecomp
>proceedings but selected papers will be published in the Reliability and
>System Safety Journal by Elsevier. Deadlines for submission to this
>minitrack are January 31st 1999 - note the slightly earlier date to
>co-ordinate with Safecomp.
>
>Please visit http://www.adelard.co.uk/ewics/fm99/fm99_call.htm for
>submission and other details.
>
>The usual apologies if you receive this message more than once.
>
>
>
>Robin Bloomfield
>
>on behalf of:
>
>Stuart Anderson, Robin Bloomfield, Tim Clement, Dan Craigen, John
>Fitzgerald, Janusz Gorski, Marrita Heisel, Karama Kanoun, Alberto Pasquini,
>Gerd Rabe; Francesca Saglietti, Markus Ullmann, Udo Voges, Marc Wilikens,
>Stefan Wittmann.
>
>
>
>Adelard                                         email:  [log in to unmask]
>3 Coborn Rd..                                tel:      +44-181-983-0217
>London E3 2DA                             fax:     +44-181-983-1845
>UK                                                www.adelard.co.uk
>