The seminar covers selected topics in the field of automated software
verification. The course revolves around seminal research papers
in the field of software verification and state-of-the-art techniques
based on these papers. Each student will be assigned two research
papers: one seminal publication of historical relevance, and a more
recent paper on the same topic. The students are expected to read and
understand the papers and prepare and present a half-hour talk on the
topic. In addition, a 1-2 pages written on the topic is also required.
The first objective is to read and understand the content as well
as the (historical) significance of the assigned papers, as well as to
locate and read up on related work if the papers are not self-contained.
Prior to preparing the presentation, students are expected to discuss the
papers in a meeting with the lecturer.
The objectives of the presentation are
- to present the topic in a manner accessible for their fellow students;
- to discuss the advances since the publication of the earlier paper;
- to summarize the papers in a short written report.
Requirements on the presentation:
- One third of the presentation should follow a popular science style presentatiom. It should put the importance of the paper in a larger context, describing its potential impact on the society and its influence on the scientific community. This part of the presentation should be addressed to the general public.
- About two thirds of the presentation should be dedicated to the scientific/technical content of the original papers. This part of the presentation should be addressed to computer scientists.
Students are required to present and discuss their slides with the lecturer prior
to giving the presentation.
Requirements on the written report: The written report should summarize the papers in 1-2 pages, explaining the impact and importance of the papers and overviewing their main technical contributions. Personal reflections on the papers are highly recommended.
Paper assignments for students:
The following suggestions are papers published at this year's conferences on Computer Aided Verification (CAV), Formal Methods in Computer Aided Design (FMCAD), Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), Satisfiability Testomg (SAT), and the International Joint Conference on Automated Reasoning (IJCAR):
You can also suggest other papers from these conferences, but will need to consult with the lecturer in that case.
ECTS Breakdown:
40 hours for reading papers and related work,
20 hours for preparing the presentation and report,
15 hours of attending lectures, talks and meetings with the lecturer.
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75 hours (3 ECTS)
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ORGANISATION:
The seminar will start with two lectures in which scientific principles and advices are discussed for reading and searching literature and making scientific presentations. The first two lectures of the seminar will take place as follows:
Lecture 1: Introductory lecture on November 7, 10am, Menger seminar room (Favoritenstrasse 9, 3rd floor)
Lecture 2: How to give a talk. November 14, 1pm, Menger.
Papers are assigned to students after the second seminar lecture.
Students are expected to read assigned papers, search relevant literature and prepare scientific presentation on the paper. The remaining seminar events will host student presentations.
Students signed up for the course who are unable to attend should
contact us as soon as possible (email laura.kovacs@tuwien.ac.at).
Electronic versions of the papers will be provided to the students.
All presentations will take place end of January.
RESOURCES:
How to give a good talk (by Simon Peyton Jones, given in Vienna, October 2004):
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/simonpj/papers/giving-a-talk/giving-a-talk.htm
(requires Real Player)
PAPERS - deadline for choosing papers is November 13, 2018:
The following suggestions are papers published at this year's conferences on Computer Aided Verification (CAV), Formal Methods in Computer Aided Design (FMCAD), Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), Satisfiability Testomg (SAT), and the International Joint Conference on Automated Reasoning (IJCAR):
You can also suggest other papers from these conferences, but will need to consult with the lecturer in that case. In any case, email the lecturer with your choice of papers before the deadline mentioned above.
PAPER ASSIGNMENT
Please consider the plagiarism guidelines of TU Wien when writing your seminar paper:
Directive concerning the handling of plagiarism (PDF)
The oral exam will take place in January, the exact date will soon be announced.
Students will be graded based on:
1.) Ability to read and understand the papers assigned to them. The
effort and initiative to independently read and understand the paper
and to read up on related work will be counted in grade. The
students' understanding of the paper will be evaluated during the
meetings with the lecturer and by means of questions after the talk.
2.) Ability to present the material in an accessible way to their fellow
students. The clarity and style of the presentation as well as the
students' effort to prepare the talk (e.g., by designing their own
examples rather than reusing material from the paper, give own intuition, reflect on the paper) will count for the grade.
3.) The written report will also count in the final grade.
Additional information on grading: The grade on the presentation will count 80% of the final grade, while the written report will count for 20% of the final grade.
The relative difficulty of the
paper will be taken into account. Asking meaningful questions about
the presentations of fellow students will have a positive impact
on the grade (attendance of these talks is compulsory). Attendance of
the meetings is compulsory - not showing up may affect your grade.
