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Java Software Development with Event B
The cost of fixing software design flaws after the completion of a software product is so high that it is vital to come up with ways to detect software design flaws in the early stages of software development, for instance, during the software requirements, the analysis activity, or during software design, before coding starts. It is not uncommon that software requirements are ambiguous or contradict each other. Ambiguity is exacerbated by the fact that software requirements are typically written in a natural language, which is not tied to any formal semantics. A palliative to the ambiguity of software requirements is to restrict their syntax to boilerplates, textual templates with placeholders. However, as informal requirements do not enjoy any particular semantics, no essential properties about them (or about the system they attempt to describe) can be proven easily. Formal methods are an alternative to address this problem. They offer a range of mathematical techniques and mathematical tools to validate software requirements in the early stages of software development. This book is a living proof of the use of formal methods to develop software. The particular formalisms that we use are EVENT B and refinement calculus. In short: (i) software requirements as written as User Stories; (ii) they are ported to formal specifications; (iii) they are refined as desired; (iv) they are implemented in the form of a prototype; and finally (v) they are tested for inconsistencies. If some unit-test fails, then informal as well as formal specifications of the software system are revisited and evolved. This book presents a case study of software development of a chat system with EVENT B and a case study of formal proof of properties of a social network.
Intelligent Notification Systems
Notifications provide a unique mechanism for increasing the effectiveness of real-time information delivery systems. However, notifications that demand users' attention at inopportune moments are more likely to have adverse effects and might become a cause of potential disruption rather than proving beneficial to users. In order to address these challenges a variety of intelligent notification mechanisms based on monitoring and learning users' behavior have been proposed. The goal of such mechanisms is maximizing users' receptivity to the delivered information by automatically inferring the right time and the right context for sending a certain type of information. This book presents an overview of the current state of the art in the area of intelligent notification mechanisms that rely on the awareness of users' context and preferences. We first present a survey of studies focusing on understanding and modeling users' interruptibility and receptivity to notifications from desktops and mobile devices. Then, we discuss the existing challenges and opportunities in developing mechanisms for intelligent notification systems in a variety of application scenarios.
The Globular Star Clusters of the Andromeda Galaxy
This book presents a brief compilation of results from nearly a century of research on the globular star clusters in the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). It explores the techniques and limitations of the observations, the successes and challenges of the models, and the paradigm for the formation of M31 that has gradually emerged. These results will eventually be superseded by new data, better analysis techniques, and more complex models. However, the emphasis of this book is on the techniques, thought processes, and connections with other studies.
Relativistic Quantum Field Theory, Volume 3
Volume 3 of this three-part series presents more advanced topics and applications of relativistic quantum field theory. The application of quantum chromodynamics to high-energy particle scattering is discussed with concrete examples for how to compute QCD scattering cross sections. Experimental evidence for the existence of quarks and gluons is then presented both within the context of the naive quark model and beyond. Dr Strickland then reviews our current understanding of the weak interaction, the unified electroweak theory, and the Brout-Higgs-Englert mechanism for the generation of gauge boson masses. The last two chapters contain a self-contained introduction to finite temperature quantum field theory with concrete examples focusing on the high-temperature thermodynamics of scalar field theories, QED, and QCD.
Resonant Tunneling Diode Photonics
This book brings together two broad themes that have generated a great deal of interest and excitement in the scientific and technical community in the last 100 years or so: quantum tunnelling and nonlinear dynamical systems. It applies these themes to nanostructured solid state heterostructures operating at room temperature to gain insight into novel photonic devices, systems and applications.