CALL FOR POSITION STATEMENTS
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U.S. Census Bureau
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Formal Methods for Statistical Software
1 May 2019
Historical Inns, Annapolis, MD, USA
https://samate.nist.gov/FMSwVRodeo/FMfSS2019.html
co-located with High Confidence Software and Systems (HCSS) conference
https://cps-vo.org/group/hcss_conference
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Statistical software and related data analysis pose different challenges
than typical software. A simplistic pseudorandom number generator may offer
sufficient randomness for a video game, but be inadequate for valid Monte
Carlo simulation or other stochastic algorithms. Likewise, erroneous
implementations of mathematical functions may generate results that look
correct, but which fail in unpredictable ways—examples of which include both
errors in floating point division implementations and bugs in differential
privacy implementations that leak confidential data into supposedly
“privatized” outputs. Such errors are typically missed by traditional
testing.
Formal methods can complement testing to gain greater assurance that
critical portions of programs are correct and that results are valid.
Although there is a vast expanse of formal methods, tools, and techniques,
they are rarely applied to such software. This workshop asks, what formal
methods can mitigate, detect, correct, or preclude flaws in statistical
software or errors of incorrect use?
We call for position statements from one to three paragraph long. Position
statements may be on topics like the following:
- types of errors, bugs, and failures in statistical software or its use
- formal methods that can assure statistical software or its results
- correct-by-construction approaches
- lists or definitions of important properties, such as convergence and
differential privacy
- gaps in current capabilities and specific research needed
- higher-level, non-procedural languages or tools so a statistician
can specify the desired analysis instead of how to achieve it
- approaches to gain assurance in statistical software and its use
SUBMISSIONS:
Submit position statements through EasyChair by 2 March 2019:
https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=fmfss2019
Based in part on position statements, we will invite presentations no later
than 1 April 2019. Attendance space is limited.
PUBLICATION:
We will publish a workshop report, including selected position statements,
in autumn.
The output of this workshop will inform a white paper on formal methods for
statistical software and also the Rodeo for Production Software Verification
Tools based on Formal Methods: https://samate.nist.gov/FMSwVRodeo/
IMPORTANT DATES:
2 March: Position statement submission deadline
1 April: Presenter invitation
1 May: Workshop
PEOPLE:
Co-Chairs
Paul E. Black paul.bl...@nist.gov
Simson L. Garfinkel simson.l.garfin...@census.gov
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