Quo Vadis Abstract State Machines? J.UCS Special Issue

In introducing this special ASM issue of J.UCS we point out the particular role this Journal played in the short history of the ASM method and add some reflections on its current status. 1 J.UCS and the ASM Method The Journal of Universal Computer Science has marked some important steps of the development of the Abstract State Machines (ASM) method for a rigorous design and the mathematical analysis of complex computer-based systems. It is the first journal which devoted a special issue to the ASM method and its applications, and within the last decade this is the fourth special ASM issue hosted by J.UCS. In addition, some other influential papers on the ASM method have been published as single papers in J.UCS. The first ASM issue in J.UCS (3.4 in 1997) dealt with ASM theory: foundational questions, questions from complexity theory and logic, investigation of the central notion of refinement and of machine support for reasoning about ASMs. The second ASM issue in J.UCS (3.5 in 1997) was devoted to applications of ASMs to classical problems of programming and software engineering: semantics of programming languages, compiler correctness (verifiable design and implementation of real-life programming languages), integrating ASMs into the software development life cycle. The third ASM issue in J.UCS (7.11 in 2001) was the first journal issue to publish revised and rereviewed versions of selected best papers from an International ASM Workshop, to be specific the 8th one, held in 2001 in Las Palmas (Gran Canaria). The themes of J.UCS 7.11 in 2001 covered the full range from theoretical foundations to industrial applications, as is typical for ASM workshops since their establishment. Also the individual papers that appeared in this journal span from theory to applications: mathematical investigation of the Kerberos protocol [BR97], a formal definition of Journal of Universal Computer Science, vol. 14, no. 12 (2008), 1921-1928 submitted: 16/6/08, accepted: 23/6/08, appeared: 28/6/08 © J.UCS