Complex and distributed systems cover hard and soft real-time applications, security protocols and security applications as well as programs. The common feature of these systems is that their behaviour is logically and combinatorially complex, involving functional and extra-functional properties (real-time constraints, performance, security...).

We develop languages and methods for the study of fundamental problems derived from real-life issues, aiming at developing rigorous solutions that yield tools.

The DCS team revolves around three research themes: Formal Methods for Computer Security Behavior Interaction Priority (BIP) Specification languages and validation.

Prof. Joseph SIFAKIS receives Turing Award

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, has named Edmund M. Clarke, E. Allen Emerson, and Joseph Sifakis the winners of the 2007 A.M. Turing Award, widely considered the most prestigious award in computing, for their original and continuing research in a quality assurance process known as Model Checking. Their innovations transformed this approach from a theoretical technique to a highly effective verification technology that enables computer hardware and software engineers to find errors efficiently in complex system designs. This transformation has resulted in increased assurance that the systems perform as intended by the designers.

Dr. Sifakis is the founder of Verimag Laboratory, a leading research center for embedded systems in Grenoble, France, where he was director from 1993-2006. He is Research Director of Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and Director of the CARNOT Institute on Intelligent Software and Systems in Grenoble. Dr. Sifakis is a member of the editorial board of several journals, and the scientific coordinator of the Artist2 and ArtistDesign European Networks of Excellence on Embedded Systems Design. He is co-founder with Edmund Clarke, Robert Kurshan, and Amir Pnueli of the International Conference on Computer Aided Verification (CAV). He earned a degree in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Athens and a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Grenoble.