Springer Transactions on Computational Science (TCS)


CALL FOR PAPERS

Special Issue Title:
Advances in Autonomic Computing:
Formal Engineering Methods for Nature-Inspired Computing Systems


Guest Editor:
Dr. Phan Cong-Vinh
Centre for Applied Formal Methods
London South Bank University, United Kingdom
URL: http://phanvc.googlepages.com/


Introduction:
A new computing paradigm is currently undergoing rapid advancements and emerging on the spot as one of the priority research areas, whose research activities are booming recently: autonomic computing (AC), which is primarily inspired by the human autonomic nervous system. AC is characterized by its self-* facets such as self-organization, self-configuration, self-healing, self-optimization, self-protection and so on whose context-awareness used to dynamically control computing functions. The overarching goal of AC is to realize nature-inspired computing systems (so-called autonomic systems), that can manage themselves without direct human interventions. Meeting this grand challenge of AC requires a rigorous interdisciplinary approach to nature-inspired computing systems. To this end, in this special issue, we will present advances in AC through dissecting nature-inspired computing systems taking advantage of formal engineering methods. Furthermore, in the field of AC, there exists a need for novel research results on properties of nature-inspired computing systems. All of these are to achieve firm formal foundations of AC.

Goals:
This special issue on Advances in Autonomic Computing: Formal Engineering Methods for Nature-Inspired Computing Systems in the Springer Journal of TCS is a place for highly original ideas about how AC is going to shape nature-inspired computing systems of the future. Hence, it focuses on rigorous approaches and cutting-edge solutions which break new ground in dealing with the properties of nature-inspired computing systems. Its purpose is to make a formal basis more accessible to researchers, scientists, professionals and students as well as developers and practitioners in computing science by providing them with state-of-the-art research results and future opportunities and trends.

Scope:
Original papers are solicited for this special issue. In particular, theoretical contributions should be formally stated and justified, and practical applications should be based on their firm formal basis. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Theoretical foundations of nature-inspired computing systems
- Formalizing self-* facets (such as self-management, self-monitoring, self-tuning, self-repair, self-configuration, and so on) in nature-inspired computing systems
- Formalizing languages that enable nature-inspired computing systems
- Calculi for reasoning about behavior of nature-inspired computing systems
- Formal methods for specifying, refining, programming and verifying nature-inspired computing systems
- Management and control of nature-inspired computing systems
- Robustness and dependability of nature-inspired computing systems
- Biologically, socially, and physically inspired computing systems
- Applications of formal methods for nature-inspired computing systems

This list is not restrictive - prospective authors are encouraged to contact the editor before submitting a paper to determine whether the submission is within the scope of this special issue.

Submission Procedure:
Prospective authors may check the Guidelines for Authors of TCS at http://www.springer.com/west/home/computer/lncs?SGWID=4-164-6-151275-0. Submitted papers must not have been previously published or be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. Conference papers should be significantly extended and revised, thus the authors should indicate this at the time of submission. All papers will be rigorously refereed. Complete papers in PDF format should be submitted to the Guest Editor before March 15, 2010 via email. The paper should be included as an email attachment or the author may provide a URL where the file can be downloaded. If a paper has co-authors then a correspondence contact out of co-authors must be indicated. An acknowledgment of receipt of the paper will be provided within 24 hours of submission.

Important Dates:
Papers Submission Deadline: March 15, 2010
Acceptance Notification: June 15, 2010 (*)
Final Papers Due: July 30, 2010
Expected Publication: Winter 2010

(*) Authors of papers judged to be out of the scope or to fall outside the goals of this special issue may be notified earlier.

Guest Editor:
Phan Cong-Vinh
PhD in Computing
Centre for Applied Formal Methods
London South Bank University
103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, United Kingdom
Email: phanvc@ieee.org
Tel: +44 (0)20 7815 7462 • Fax: +44 (0)20 7815 7793