Formal Methods are mathematically-based techniques for software design and engineering, which enable the unambiguous description of reasoning about a system’s behaviour. Autonomous systems use to make decisions without human control, often embedded in robotic system, safety-critical, increasingly being introduced into everyday settings. need robust development verification methods, but formal m...

The goal of these lectures is to describe a “structural” theory of quantum computation. Quantum programs can be reasoned about at many different levels. They can be reasoned about numerically and algebraically, which involves specific calculations with complex numbers and vector space notation. Programs can also be reasoned about symbolically, by expressing them in a formal language and formula...

This article surveys the state of the art in the field of semantic universals. We examine potential semantic universals in three areas: (i) the lexicon, (ii) semantic “glue” (functional morphemes and composition principles), and (iii) pragmatics. At the level of the lexicon, we find remarkably few convincing semantic universals. At the level of functional morphemes and composition principles, w...

This article surveys the state of the art in the field of semantic universals. We examine potential semantic universals in three areas: (i) the lexicon, (ii) semantic “glue” (functional morphemes and composition principles), and (iii) pragmatics. At the level of the lexicon, we find remarkably few convincing semantic universals. At the level of functional morphemes and composition principles, w...

In thinking of a solution to a problem, the designer has a vague image of the form that will embody the solution. Creating collages, sketches and other types of (external) visual representations are used to help in shaping and establishing this image. For this, designers make extensive use of design precedents Many of the existing computer tools to support designing with precedents suffer from ...

government actions and interventions caused, prolonged, and worsened the financial crisis. They caused it by deviating from historical precedents and principles for setting interest rates, which had worked well for 20 years. They prolonged it by misdiagnosing the problems in the bank credit markets and thereby responding inappropriately by focusing on liquidity rather than risk. They made it wo...

This essay argues that principles should play a limited role in policy making. It first illustrates the dilemma of timely action in the face of uncertain unintended consequences. It then introduces the precautionary and proactionary principles as different alignments of knowledge and action within the policymaking process. The essay next considers a cynical and a hopeful reading of the role of ...