IFIP WG 10.4 (Dependable Computing & Fault Tolerance) has named four researchers as joint winners of the 2023 Jean-Claude Laprie Award.
Christel Baier, Boudewijn Haverkort, Holger Hermanns, Joost-Pieter Katoen co-authored their paper on Model-checking Algorithms for Continuous-Time Markov Chains, publishing it in IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, June 2003.
A Seminal Piece of Work
The winning paper presented a unifying theory and algorithm to evaluate a wide variety of performance and dependability measures for continuous-time Markov chain models. The proposed approach inspired many researchers and provided a theoretical foundation for various model-checking tools, including GreatSPN, PRISM, STORM, and COMPASS.
Techniques first presented in the paper are being used in real-life, industrial applications of dependable and mission-critical systems. For example, at the European Space Agency (ESA), the approach has been used for evaluating space system dependability and at BMW, the approach has been applied for evaluating designs of autonomous driving systems architectures. Also, the algorithms, and the supporting tools, were used for applications beyond the realm of dependable systems design, e.g., modelling and analysis of biological and biochemical systems and computational biology. Furthermore, the seminal work presented in the awarded paper was recently extended to evaluate quantum computing systems. Extensions of the approach were also used to model system survivability, stable storage systems, and telecommunications applications.
This paper profoundly impacted the research and practice in applying the theoretical formulation of model checking in engineering practice to design and evaluate dependable and mission-critical systems. It can be found in IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 524-541, June 2003, doi: 10.1109/TSE.2003.1205180
About the Jean-Claude Laprie Award
The Jean-Claude Laprie Award in Dependable Computing has been awarded annually since 2012 by the IFIP Working Group on Dependable Computing and Fault Tolerance in his honour. The award recognises outstanding papers that have significantly influenced the theory and/or practice of Dependable Computing. It takes the form of a memorial plaque presented to the authors at the Annual IEEE/IFIP International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks (DSN). Any paper relating to dependable and secure computing published at least 10 years before the award year is eligible to be considered.
The award seeks to recognise papers that have had a significant impact in the intervening years in one or more of the three following categories:
- Technical/scientific research impact
- Industrial/commercial product impact
- Broad impact on the dependable computing community
