• Dependable Systems Group at Heriot-Watt

    The research aims and objectives of the Dependable Systems Group are to improve the reliability and predictability of computer systems through the development and application of rigorous design, implementation and verification techniques. More broadly, Dependable Systems research is considered as spanning the following three layers:

    • Foundations: discrete mathematics; logic; computability; probability and statistics; algorithmic analysis and complexity.
    • Technologies: specification oriented prototyping; performance modeling; simulation; formal verification; empirical verification and validation; automated reasoning; transformation; refinement and synthesis.
    • Applications: safety critical system; secure systems; fault tolerant systems; disaster analysis and recovery; performance optimisation; multi process/processor systems; hybrid/embedded systems; predictable systems.

    Our current strengths lie mainly within Foundations – models and formalisms for languages and systems – and within Technologies – functional programming, performance modelling, parallel prototyping, automated reasoning and formal verification.

    We are part of the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA), which pools together the top computing departments in Scotland and also provides an enriched research environment for all staff and students.

    We have strong links to other Scottish universities, in particular with the Glasgow Parallelism Group at the University of Glasgow on high-level languages and systems for parallel computation.

    The seminars of the DSG group are merged with those of the LAIV group and a seminar schedule is available here.