Seminar Trends in Computer-Aided Verification

Seminar in Theoretical CS, Winter 2025/26

News

  • 04.06.2025: we are online

Dates & Deadlines

Mon, Oct 20, 16:30Kick-off meeting (room 4201b, 2nd floor, building E1, Faculty of CS)
Fri, Oct 24Topic preferences due
Mon, Nov 24Detailed outline due
Mon, Dec 15Seminar report due
Mon, Jan 12Presentation slides due
Feb 3 (?)Presentations (room 4201b, 2nd floor, building E1, CS Department)

Note that the full versions of your report and your slides should be your final submission and the camera-ready versions should differ only with regard to minor remarks, comments, and corrections by your supervisor. Please feel free, however, to talk to your supervisor about submitting preliminary versions before the due dates.

Introduction

Overview

The term Computer-Aided Verification refers to theory and practice of computer-supported formal analysis methods for both hardware and software systems. Likewise, it is the name of an annual academic conference on that topic. The modeling and verification of such systems is an important issue. In particular, safety-critical systems are ones in which errors can be disastrous: loss of life, major financial losses, etc. Techniques to safeguard against such scenarios are essential for such systems. Testing can identify problems, especially if done in a rigorous fashion, but is generally not sufficient to guarantee a satisfactory level of quality.   Formal methods, on the other hand, offer techniques ranging from the description of requirements in a formal notation to allow for rigorous reasoning about them, to techniques for automatic verification of software. Due to the complexity of these approaches and the systems they are applied to, automated computer support is indispensable.  

The goal of this seminar is to give an overview of the related research activities of the MOVES group. It covers several areas of computer science to which computed-aided verification techniques are central, and which represent the research fields of the respective supervisors. Each area features a number of topics which are described in a scientific journal or conference article. These research articles are the basis on which students have to prepare their report and presentation. The following list gives an overview of the areas that will be covered.

Topic Areas (preliminary)

A. Compositional Verification of Probabilistic Systems

  1. Compositional Learning
  2. Compositional Model Checking
  3. Assume-Guarantee Reasoning
  4. Compositional Strategy Synthesis

B. Analysis of Partially Observable Stochastic Systems

  1. Efficient Computation of Belief Values
  2. Planning under Constraints
  3. Multi-Environment Models
  4. Monte-Carlo Methods
  5. Efficient Approximation

C. Analysing Quantum Programs

  1. Detecting Bugs using QChecker
  2. Detecting Bugs using LintQ
  3. The Quantum Volume
  4. Resource Estimation

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge in the following areas is expected:

  • Formal languages and automata theory
  • Mathematical logic

Previous knowledge in neural networks, stochastic systems and quantum programming (depending on the choice of the topic) is helpful but not mandatory.

Registration

Registration to the seminar is handled via the SuPra system.

Grading Scheme

You can access the grading scheme here.

Contact

Thomas Noll