Focus

Usually, the source system is a formal specification, which is transformed or refined to the target system by a sequence of meaning-preserving steps. The target systems are primarily, but not necessarily, software. They can be algorithms, distributed systems, protocols, software architectures, hybrid systems, and so on.

We are interested in languages, formalisms, theories and methods (including support tools) with a solid mathematical underpinning that can help advance the state of the art. In particular, we want to increase both the elegance and the scope of our methods.

Participants

Next to the members, participation is only open to invited observers. Observers are selected on the basis of the perceived potential relevance of their work to the concerns of the Working Group. Contrary to what the term might suggest, observers are not supposed to just sit in on the meetings and `observe'. On the contrary, they are expected to participate actively in discussions and presentations alike.

Presentations

Of course, a good talk on finished work that is in the heart of the Working Group's concerns is also welcome. But whether the topic of a presentation is a formalism, a theorem, a new derivation or anything else, the technical details and assumptions must be out in the open, with precise definitions, so that all participants can follow and understand all steps. After all, we are a group of active researchers, and how a particular result was obtained, what reasoning led to a claim, or what motivated an approach, is often as interesting to us as the result, claim or approach itself.

In any case, it is a well-established fact that any statement, term or symbol uttered by a speaker or shown on a slide at a WG2.1 meeting, unless its meaning is crystal-clear, will prompt some member to interrupt the speaker and ask for elucidation. This behaviour, annoying as it may seem to the interruptee, is surely informed by the interrupter's ardent desire to fully understand and absorb the content of the talk. (It has not been unheard of that a speaker needed a full half hour just to proceed through the interruptions from the first to the second slide. Being precise - without being pedantic - can considerably speed up a presentation for this Group.)

From time to time a talk may prompt an impromptu discussion between the attendants, thus suspending the orderly progress of the presentation. Generally the chair will allow this as long as the discussion is germane to the higher purposes of the Working Group, but cut it short when it threatens to become repetitive or pointless.

Scheduling

Clearly, under such a regime there can be no fixed schedule for presentations. At all times there is a tentative schedule, which is continually subject to dynamic rescheduling. To compound the complexity of the problem, the Working Group welcomes impromptu presentations, usually of the nature of presenting a solution to an open problem of a previous speaker, or a substantive improvement on her or his approach.

The initial tentative schedule is drawn up using an interesting procedure that we are continuing to evolve and refine, even though it has no clearly defined effect on the actual proceedings, as there is no guarantee that talks put on the initial schedule will ever have a chance to actualize. The meeting commences with each attendee introducing themselves (name, affiliation, research interests), and, optionally, a sales pitch, of up to 5 minutes in length, of the presentation(s) that person would be willing to give, together with an estimate of how much time they require for the full-length presentation(s). Once everyone has introduced themselves, and their potential presentations (if any), the participants get to vote on which presentations they wish to hear, and which they do not wish to hear. These lists are used to determine whether or not a presentation should be included in the initial schedule, and how much time is likely to be allowed to it. This initial schedule is subject to revision as the meeting progresses.