Theoretical Computer Science Group
This group has been archived.
This group has been replaced by the Programming Languages and Systems Research Group .If you experience any difficulties accessing information from this archive please contact the Head of the replacement group (see staff list at www.cs.kent.ac.uk/research/groups/plas/people.html )
Key Aims
The theoretical computer science group draws on foundational ideas in computer science and applies them to practical problems in the areas of programming languages, program development, verification and formal methods. One theme of our research is programming languages and the construction of reliable, extensible, efficient and secure software systems. Program development is inextricably linked with programming language research and we are developing tools, such as refactorers and tracers, for underpinning the program development cycle. We are also interested in discovering bugs using techniques such as abstract interpretation and model checking. As well as investigating the correctness of existing programs, we are developing refinement techniques that systematically flesh out a specification so as to obtain an implementation that is provably correct. These techniques illustrate a unifying theme of our group --- we are interested in applying theoretical ideas in computer science, such as semantics, logics, types, categories, fixpoints, etc and using this insight for improving the quality of software systems.Areas of Research Activity
Members are engaged in the following areas of research (research areas in more detail) .
| * | functional programming | * | refinement |
| * | refactoring | * | abstract interpretation |
| * | logics | * | term rewriting |
Some suggestions of possible postgraduate research projects are also available.