[TYPES] Lectures on Categorical structures for system modelling

[Markus Michelbrink]

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*              Swansea Algebraic Specification Seminar               *
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*                      Jose Fiadeiro (Leicester)                     *
*           Categorical structures for system modelling              *
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*               July 5 & 6, 2005, Swansea, Wales, UK                 *
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*           http://www.cs.swan.ac.uk/~csmarkus/algspec.htm           *
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The focus of this series of lectures is the support that category
theory can bring to the modelling of complex software systems.  It
consists of an introduction to basic and more advanced categorical
concepts and techniques using examples drawn from concurrency theory,
algebraic specification (namely institutions) and software
architecture (the language CommUnity).  Our ambition is to show how
category theory can provide a unifying, truly 'universal' approach to
the handling of different levels of complexity that arise in the
development of large and interaction-intensive systems.

The material will be delivered so as to address, as much as possible,
the interests, doubts and curiosity of the audience. The pace will be
largely dictated by the participants. The presentation will be
supported by the book "Categories for Software Engineering", Springer
2004, meaning that topics that will not receive sufficient coverage
can always be looked at in the book.

Tentative schedule
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1: The "social" life objects: categories vs sets
    "The meaning of things lies not in the things themselves, 
     but in our attitude towards them", Saint-Exupéry

2: Universal constructions
    "Composition as conjunction" P.Zave & M.Jackson

3: The "social" life of categories: functors
     Modelling in structured domains

4: Functor-structured categories: fibrations
     The power of indexing

5: The "social" life of functors: adjunctions
     The power of dualities


Participation
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Attendance is free; please contact Markus Roggenbach
(M.Roggenbach at swan.ac.uk) if you need accommodation.
-- 
Dr. Markus Michelbrink
Dept. of Computer Science
University of Wales Swansea
Singleton Park
Swansea
SA2 8PP
United Kingdom