Colloquium

Monads and Lenses – Dr James Cheney

Talk Title:  Monads and Lenses

Abstract:

Monads are an abstraction that can be used to mathematically model computational effects (among other things).  Lenses are an abstraction for bidirectional computation, a generalization of the view-update problem.  In this talk I will discuss ways to combine them and why it might be interesting to do so.

 

This talk is on joint work with Faris Abou-Saleh, Jeremy Gibbons, James McKinna and Perdita Stevens conducted as part of the recently-concluded project “A theory of least change for bidirectional transformations”.

Event details

  • When: 17th July 2017 13:00 - 14:00
  • Where: Cole 1.33a
  • Format: Colloquium, Seminar

Translational Research into Common Psychiatric Disorders, Professor Douglas Steele, Professor of Neuroimaging / Consultant Psychiatrist, University of Dundee

Translational Neuroimaging Based Psychiatric Research

Computational methods are having a considerable influence on contemporary neuroscience research: in data collection (non-invasive functional brain imaging), data analysis and computational modelling of healthy and abnormal brain and behaviour. The presentation is in two parts. Part 1 is an overview of the current main computational-neuroscience areas in research. Part 2 focuses on some recent high impact research into potential empirical and mechanistic biomarkers for psychiatric disorders.

Event details

  • When: 24th April 2017 14:00 - 15:00
  • Where: Cole 1.33a
  • Format: Colloquium, Seminar, Talk

Implementing Event-Driven Microservices Architecture using Functional programming

*PLEASE NOTE THIS TALK WILL TAKE PLACE IN BMS BUILDING – SEMINAR ROOM 113*

BIO: Nikhil Barthwal is a polyglot programmer currently working as a Senior Software Engineer at Jet.com, an e-commerce startup recently acquired by Walmart. He works in the Tools & Productivity team with the aim of making developers more productive, as well as improving the quality of the code. Outside of work, he is involved with local meetups in New York city where he gives talks on various topics related to technology. He holds a Master’s in Computer Science with special focus on Distributed Systems and a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering.

ABSTRACT: Web services are typically stateless entities, that need to operate at scale at large. Functional paradigm can be used to model these web services work and offer several benefits like scalability, productivity, and correctness.

This talk describes how Jet.com implemented their Event-Driven Microservices using F#. It covers topics like their Microservices, Event-Sourcing, Kafka, Build & Deployment pipeline. The objective of the talk is show how to create a scalable & highly distributed web service in F#, and demonstrate how various characteristics of functional paradigm capture the behavior of such services architecture very naturally.

Event details

  • When: 8th March 2017 15:00 - 16:00
  • Where: TBA
  • Series: CS Colloquia Series
  • Format: Colloquium, Seminar

The technology driving the evolution of internet advertising, targeted advertising or intrusive surveillance?

BIO

 Tim Palmer read Computational Science in St Andrews graduating in 1993.

 Initially working for Oracle in London then San Francisco, he went on to work in Investment Banking Technology for over a decade.

 Most recently Tim was CTO for The Exchange Lab – a programmatic marketing company.

 He is now Senior Partner in Digiterre, a technology consultancy working for a wide variety of software projects across London.

 

ABSTRACT

 In 1997 internet advertising consisted of simple “click me” banner adverts.

 By 2011 around two hundred digital marketing firms followed us around the internet encouraging us to “complete that purchase”.

 Today more than four thousand technology firms provide marketing technology seemingly to help us keep track of The Kardashians.

 In the seminar, a simple HTML and JavaScript snippet will be used to explain the basics of digital marketing; how these building blocks are making fortunes for some and providing free internet for everyone; and how the technology presents a real challenge to protect our online privacy.

 Or to put it another way, the 8 Most Shocking Secrets of Digital Marketing – you won’t believe the 7th one.

 

Event details

  • When: 27th February 2017 14:00 - 15:00
  • Where: Cole 1.33b
  • Format: Colloquium, Seminar

 “Unfrying your brain with F#”  Andrea Magnorsky, Workday Software Ltd

Abstract

 F#, just like other non-pure functional languages, allows you find the sweet spot between FP practices and OO language pragmatism. Most of the advanced features of F# give you the power to change the language and to introduce a higher level of abstraction to your code. In this talk, we will discuss active patterns, computation expressions, parsers, using type providers and more. These language features help you make your code simpler and easier to maintain.

 

Bio

 I ended up as a Software Developer, I am pretty sure there was no other viable option. My current technical interests are F#, games, programming languages and philosophy of computing .

I really enjoy finding different ways to write code, sometimes for performance, other times for succinctness, sometimes, just because you can, there is no better way to learn than trying.

When I am not working I tend to play with Haskell or other languages or cats

Event details

  • When: 6th March 2017 16:00 - 17:00
  • Where: Cole 1.33a
  • Format: Colloquium, Seminar

Type-Driven Development of Communicating Systems using Idris

Speaker: Jan de Muijnck-Hughes

Abstract

Communicating protocols are a cornerstone of modern system design.
However, there is a disconnect between the different tooling used to design, implement and reason about these protocols and their implementations.
Session Types are a typing discipline that help resolve this difference by allowing protocol specifications to be used during type-checking to ensure that implementations adhere to a given specification.

Idris is a general purpose programming language that supports full-dependent types, providing programmers with the ability to reason more precisely about programs.
This talk introduces =Sessions=, our implementation of Session Types in Idris, and demonstrates =Sessions= ability to design and realise several common protocols.

=Sessions= improves upon existing Session Type implementations by introducing value dependencies between messages and fine-grained channel management during protocol design and implementation.
We also use Idris’ support for EDSL construction to allow for protocols to be designed and reasoned about in the same language as their implementation.
Thereby allowing for an intrinsic bond to be introduced between a protocol’s implementation and specification, and also with its verification.

Using =Sessions=, we can reduce the existing disconnect between the tooling used for protocol design, implementation, and verification.

 

 

 

Event details

  • When: 23rd February 2017 13:00 - 15:00
  • Where: Cole 1.33b
  • Format: Colloquium, Seminar, Talk

Departmental Seminar – Andy Stanford-Clark

Title: Innovation Begins at Home

Abstract:
Prof Andy Stanford-Clark, Chief Technologist for Smarter Energy at IBM UK, will discuss the journey from Smart Metering to a future Smart Grid, incorporating the challenges of microgeneration, electric vehicles, intermittent generation, and demand-side management. Focusing specifically on energy saving in the home, Andy will talk about his own home automation system, and aspects of consumer behaviour change linked with that technology. The talk will also give details of a community energy-saving project, and the Isle of Wight EcoIsland project.

Bio:
Professor Andy Stanford-Clark is the Chief Technologist for IBM’s consulting business in Energy and Utilities for the UK and Ireland. He is an IBM Distinguished Engineer, and “Master Inventor” with more than 40 patents. Andy is based at IBM’s Hursley Park laboratories in the UK, and specialises in remote telemetry, energy monitoring and management, Smart Metering and Smart Grid technologies. He has a particular interest in home energy monitoring, home automation, demand-side management, and driving consumer behaviour change. Andy has a BSc in Computing and Mathematics, and a PhD in Computer Science. He is a visiting professor at the University of Newcastle and a Fellow of the British Computer Society.

Event details

  • When: 22nd April 2013 15:00 - 22nd April 2013 16:00
  • Where: Phys Theatre C
  • Series: CS Colloquia Series
  • Format: Colloquium, Seminar

School Seminar: Programs that Write Programs – Is that Interesting?- by Prof Ron Morrison, …with many ideas from…

This seminar is suitable for CS3053-RPIC

A talk by Prof Ron Morrison …with many ideas from:

Dharini Balasubramaniam, Graham Kirby, Kath Mickan – University of St Andrews, Brian Warboys, R. Mark Greenwood, Ian Robertson, Bob Snowdon – University of Manchester and technologies developed by some of the above and Alfred Brown, Al Dearle, Richard Connor, Quintin Cutts, David Munro and Stuart Norcross – University of St Andrews.

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Event details

  • When: 25th February 2013 15:00 - 16:00
  • Where: Phys Theatre C
  • Series: CS Colloquia Series
  • Format: Colloquium

School Seminar: HCI in Health Care by Jill Freyne -ICT Centre,CSIRO

 Abstract
Obesity, poor diet and lifestyle and the associated health care costs are set to cripple the governmental budgets of most Western countries over the coming decades. The facts of the equation are simple. Energy intake must exceed energy output for weight loss, and living within a healthy weight range has a host of benefits. Most communities understand and acknowledge the facts, but despite their understanding continue to live lifestyles that endanger them in the long term. In this talk Jill Freyne will walk us through two case studies for online and mobile dietary interventions and examine the power and weaknesses of the technology in the fight to engage and sustain individuals in lifestyle change.

Event details

  • When: 3rd May 2013 15:00 - 16:00
  • Where: Phys Theatre C
  • Series: CS Colloquia Series
  • Format: Colloquium, Seminar