Edmund M. Clarke, E. Allen Emerson, and Joseph Sifakis are the
recipients of the 2007 A.M. Turing Award for their work on an automated
method for finding design errors in computer hardware and software. The
method, called Model Checking, is the most widely used technique for
detecting and diagnosing errors in complex hardware and software design.
It has helped to improve the reliability of complex computer chips,
systems and networks. According to the ACM announcement, "Model Checking
started as an academic research idea. The continuing research of Clarke,
Emerson, and Sifakis as well as others in the international research
community over the last 27 years led to the creation of new logics, as
well as new algorithms and surprising theoretical results. This in turn
has stimulated the creation of many Model Checking tools by both academic
and industrial teams, resulting in the widespread industrial use of Model
Checking... Among the beneficiaries of Model Checking are personal
computer users, medical device makers, and nuclear power plant operators.
As computerized systems pervade daily life, consumers rely on digital
controllers to supervise critical functions of cars, airplanes, and
industrial plants. Digital switching technology has replaced analog
components in the telecommunications industry, and security protocols
enable e-commerce applications and privacy. Wherever significant
investments or human lives are at risk, quality assurance for the
underlying hardware and software components becomes paramount. The
Turing Award, named for British mathematician Alan M. Turing, carries
a $250,000 prize, with financial support provided by Intel Corporation
and Google Inc.
No comments:
Post a Comment