Seminar of EPI Contraintes

 http://contraintes.inria.fr/Seminar 

INRIA Paris-Rocquencourt, Building 8.

(to receive the program by e-mail, please write to Francois.Fages@inria.fr)
 
 

Monday 24 October 2011 

10.30 Neda Saeedloei, University of Texas, Dallas, USA

Modeling and Verification of Real-time and Cyber-Physical Systems

We develop techniques for including continuous time in computations. These techniques result in frameworks for modeling and verification of real-time systems. Our proposed framework is based on logic programming (LP) extended with constraints and coinduction. To build the theoretical foundations necessary for this work, we present a new programming paradigm, co-constraint logic programming (co-CLP for brevity), that merges two programming paradigms: constraint logic programming and coinductive logic programming.
We investigate incorporation of continuous time in various domains of computer science. In particular we study the extension of omega-grammars with continuous time (timed omega-grammars) and also continuous time extension of pi-calculus (timed pi-calculus). We present the implementation of these formalisms in co-CLP and show how these co-CLP-based realizations can be used for modeling and verifying real-time systems.
We also present a co-CLP framework for modeling hybrid automata; we use this logic programming realization of hybrid automata to develop a framework for modeling and verification of cyber-physical systems, including real-time systems.




Monday 10 October 2011 (Seminar room of Building 16)

10.00 Calin Belta, Boston University, USA

Formal verification and control of piecewise affine systems with applications to gene networks

Discrete-time piecewise affine systems (PWA) are a particular class of hybrid systems that evolve along different affine dynamics in different polyhedral regions of the continuous state space. Such models are very popular because they can approximate nonlinear systems with arbitrary accuracy and because of the existence of algorithms for the identification of such systems from experimental data. In this talk, I will show how the particular structure of PWA systems can be exploited to develop computationally efficient algorithms for their verification and for synthesis of parameters and control strategies. I will show how such tools can be used for analysis and synthesis of synthetic gene networks.

Jeudi 21 avril 2011

10.00 Szymon Stoma, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany

Towards systematic study of spatio-temporal cellular systems

During the presentation I will discuss the application of computational techniques to study complex, spatio-temporal cellular systems. I will present models and simulations together with experiments used to heighten our comprehension of shoot apical meristem (SAM) development in Arabidopsis Thaliana, and in particular the process of regular organ initiation, called phyllotaxis. To develop phyllotaxis models, we focused on the intra cellular transport of one of the essential plant hormones, auxin. Transport of auxin is mediated by its efflux carrier, a protein called PIN1. The location of PIN proteins in a single cell changes dynamically during the growth process and this so-called repolarization is coordinated at a tissue level. To capture these events, presented models are at the scale of tissue, with cellular resolution and since they include growth, from the Computer Science point of view they are Dynamic Systems with Dynamic Structures (DS2), which brings important implications to the modeling. I will discuss also the physical-based framework to simulate growth of the meristem including tropisms. Since auxin modifies rigidity of cell walls leading to an increase in growth rates in the spots of its high concentration, the introduced framework is used to upgrade auxin transport-based model of phyllotaxis. In this upgraded model the transport-based patterning mechanism directly modifies the growth directions of the meristem, allowing us to study the coupling of growth, auxin and PIN distributions. Finally, I will discuss the usage of experimental, microscopic data to validate microbiological models which will bring us to the motivation for developing Spatio Temporal Simulation Environment (STSE): http://stse-software.org

Lundi 18 avril 2011

13.30 Cédric Joncour, Université Bordeaux 1

Nouvelles approches combinatoires pour les problèmes de placement

Le problème de placement sur deux dimensions consiste à décider s'il existe un rangement d'objets rectangulaires dans une boîte donnée sans chevauchement ni dépassement du conteneur. C'est un problème combinatoire très difficile. La rotation des rectangles n’est pas autorisée. En 1997, Fekete et Schepers ont utilisé les graphes d’intervalles comme structure de données afin de caractériser des classes de placements réalisables. Ils évitent ainsi d’énumérer des solutions symétriques. Leur algorithme a permis de faire un saut significatif quant à la taille des instances traitées.

Durant ma thèse, j'ai developpé de nouvelles approches combinatoires basées sur diverses caractérisations des graphes d'intervalles. Un premier algorithme est basé sur l'énumération de matrices de uns-consécutifs. Un autre utilise des arbres étiquetés pour éliminer plus efficacement les cas de symétries entre placements. Ces approches se sont révélées plus performantes que celle de Fekete & Schepers sur la plupart des instances classiques de la littérature.

Lundi 11 avril 2011

14.00 Paolo Ballarini, INRIA Rennes Bretagne Atlantique,

Hybrid Automata Stochastic Logic: expressive statistical verification of stochastic models

We introduce the Hybrid Automata Stochastic Logic (HASL), a new temporal logic formalism for the verification of discrete event stochastic processes (DESP). HASL employs Linear Hybrid Automata (LHA) as machineries to select prefixes of relevant execution paths of a DESP. The advantage with LHA is that rather elaborate information can be collected "on-the-fly" during path selection, providing the user with a powerful means to express sophisticated measures. A formula of HASL consists of an LHA (A) and an expression (Z) referring to moments of "path random variables". A (simulation-based) statistical engine is employed to obtain a confidence-interval estimate of the expected value of Z. In essence HASL provides a unifying verification framework where sophisticated temporal reasoning is naturally blended with elaborate reward-based analysis. In this talk I will illustrate the HASL approach and a discuss about its expressivity. I will also present preliminary empirical evidence obtained through COSMOS, a prototype software tool for HASL verification.

(slides in pdf)

Lundi 28 mars 2011

10.30 Yaakov Setty, Weizmann Institute, Revohot, Israel,

Modeling Organogenesis: Scaling Development from Stem Cells to Organs

In recent years, we have used software engineering tools to develop reactive models to simulate and analyze the development of organs. The modeled systems embody highly complex and dynamic processes, by which a set of precursor stem cells proliferate, differentiate and move, to form a functioning tissue. Three organs from diverse evolutionary organisms have been thus modeled: the mouse pancreas, the C. elegans gonad, and partial rodent brain development. Analysis and execution of the models provided dynamic representation of the development, anticipated known experimental results and proposed novel testable predictions. In my talk, I will l discuss challenges, goals and achievement in this direction in science.

Mardi 1er mars 2011

10.00 Xuefeng Gao, University College, Cork, Ireland,

A cell-based multiscale model for avascular tumor growth

The growth dynamics of tumors is controlled by nutrients, biomechanical forces and other factors at different stages and in different environments is still largely unknown. We present a computer simulation for avascular tumor growth aimed at investigating the interaction between tumor morphology and the local environment. At the cellular level, a Glazier-Graner-Hogeweg (GGH) model describes cellular dynamics including cell proliferation, viability and adhesion. At the subcellular level, the expression of protein p27 regulates the cell cycle. At the extracellular level, the diffusion of oxygen, glucose and hydrogen ions describe the chemical dynamics involved in metabolism. In avascular phase, tumor cell proliferation depends on consuming oxygen and glucose from the pre-existing surrounding tissue. When the oxygen level drops below a threshold, the tumor cells become hypoxic and start anaerobic metabolism (glycolysis). Experimental evidence suggests that cancer cells undergo hypoxia-induced quiescence (G0 phase in the cell cycle). We assume that this progression is affected by protein p27, whose expression is upregulated under hypoxia, inhibits the activation of the cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs), thus preventing DNA synthesis and regulating the cell-cycle.

Mercredi 8 décembre 2010

11.00-12.00 (amphi Turing, building 1)
Radu Grosu, SUNY at Stony Brook, USA

Modeling and Analysis of Cardiac Tissue

We address the problem of modeling and analysis of emergent behavior
in cardiac tissue, spiral electric waves in particular, a condition
known as tachycardia and a precursor to cardiac fibrillation.

We first introduce a minimal nonlinear model of a single cardiac cell.
For analysis, we transform this model to a multiaffine system and
identify the parameter ranges for which the system lacks excitability.
A region of unexcitable cells within cardiac tissue, can be responsible
for tachycardia or fibrillation: 1) The region becomes an obstacle, in
the way of the propagating electrical wave; 2) This triggers a spiral
rotation of the wave (tachycardia); 3) The spiral may eventually break
up into many spirals, a condition known as fibrillation.

We then address the problem of specifying and detecting spatial
properties in cardiac tissue. To solve this problem we: (1) Apply
discrete mode-abstraction to the single-cell automata described above;
(2) Introduce the new concept of spatial-superposition of CLHA modes;
(3) Develop a new spatial logic, based on spatial-superposition, for
specifying emergent behavior; (4) Devise a new method for learning the
formulae of this logic from the spatial patterns under investigation;
and (5) Apply bounded model checking to detect (within milliseconds)
the onset of spiral waves. We have implemented our methodology as the
Emerald tool-suite, a component of our EHA framework for specification,
simulation, analysis and control of excitable hybrid automata. We
illustrate the effectiveness of our approach by applying Emerald to
the scalar electrical fields produced by our CX simulator.

Vendredi 19 novembre 2010

14.00-15.00 Jean Krivine, CNRS PPS, University Paris 7

Epigenetics, aging and symmetry: or why DNA is not a program


Without committing to any controversial definition, one may describe
aging as a continuous and irreversible process by which molecules, cells
or organs accumulate changes in time. With this simple definition, the
process by which embryonic stem cells progressively loose their
pluripotency by differentiation and acquire fixed functions in various
tissues can be viewed as an instance of the aging process. From a
modeling perspective there is a need to find a mechanistic molecular
implementation of this phenomenon with the hope to better understand age
related deceases or cancer. This model of cell development is strongly
constrained by the fact that each cell of a single organism, be it a
neuron or a stem cell, shares a copy of the same genetic code. It results
that the "program" that governs the function of a cell cannot be solely
contained in the genes and has to be hidden in some "meta" instructions
on top of these genes.

Recent technological breakthrough in molecular biology are starting to
reveal the structure of this meta-code that biologists call epigenetic.
In this talk we will survey this revolutionary view of genes, cells and
function with a computer-science oriented spirit, having in mind that we
are facing an evolution-based toolkit for the treatment of genetic
information that should most likely beget interesting concepts for
computer science and informatics.

15.30-16.30 Zohra Khalis, CNRS I3S, Sophia Antipolis

Using Hoare logic for constraining parameters of discrete models of gene networks


The technology of DNA chips allows the quantification of the expression
level of thousands genes in the same organism at the same time.
Nevertheless, analysis of data from DNA chips requires development of
adapted methods.

We propose a path language that allows the description, in an abstract
way, of the concentration level variations from temporal data like
temporal profiles of gene expression. When concentration level
variations have been expressed through a program of the path language,
it becomes possible to apply methods from computer science like Hoare
logic.

Hoare logic is made of a system composed of axioms and rules. It permits
one to prove if a program is correct in comparison to its specifications
that is described through assertions, that is, logical formulas, that
define properties on the program. The precondition specifies the initial
state before the execution of the program and the postcondition
specifies the final state after the execution of the program. A program
is said (partially) correct if it is possible to prove that from an
initial state satisfying the precondition, the program leads (if the
program terminates) to a final state satisfying the postcondition.

To model gene regulatory networks, the main difficulty remains in the
parameter identification problem, that is, the search of parameter
values which lead to a model behavior that is consistent with the known
or hypothetical properties of the system. So, we apply a Hoare-like
logic designed for the defined path language and discrete modelling
framework. The axioms and rules of this Hoare-like logic are adapted to
gene networks and permits us to prove that the path described by the
program exists in the dynamics. Given a path program and a
postcondition, we can apply calculus of the weakest precondition, based
on this Hoare-like logic. Calculus of the weakest precondition, thanks
to defined axioms and rules, permits us to constrain parameters
associated with the program and the postcondition. Although Hoare logic
is well known, its application to constrain parameter values of gene
networks appears to be brand new and helpful in order to select
consistent models. Moreover, expressing DNA profiles into programs gives
another way to process such data.

Mercredi 31 mars 2010

10.30 Adam Halasz, West Virginia University – Department of Mathematics

[Non]-Deterministic dynamics in cells: From multistability to
stochastic switching.

I will discuss the interplay between deterministic dynamics and
stochastic effects in live cells. The main example is the lac operon,
a set of self-promoting genes, which, together with the enzymes they
express, act as a hysteretic switch. Stochastic simulations of the
same system predict spontaneous, random switching by individual cells.
This behavior can be well described by a simple abstraction. In a
broader context, I will review a few examples where stochasticity
leads to useful and quantifiable behavior that amounts to a hedging
strategy on the level of a population of cells.

Lundi 1er mars 2010

13.30 Vianney le Clément, UCL Louvain, Belgique

Appariements de graphes basés sur des contraintes

Les graphes combinatoires offrent une structure riche pour modéliser divers objets: réseaux, images, molécules, etc. Pour mesurer la similarité entre deux graphes, l'on peut calculer un appariement entre leurs nœuds. La plupart des problèmes d'appariement de graphes sont NP difficiles. Dans cet exposé, nous verrons qu'il est possible de les résoudre en utilisant des techniques de programmation par contraintes (CP) ou de recherche locale (LS). Nous aurons aussi un aperçu du travail en cours sur CBGML, un langage de modélisation déclaratif à base de contraintes, dont le but est de générer automatiquement un algorithme de résolution CP ou LS sur base des caractéristiques du problème.

Mercredi 10 février 2010

10.30 Alexis Saurin, PPS Paris,

Focalisation en Ludique

La propriété de Focalisation constitue l'un des résultats essentiels de la
théorie de la démonstration de la logique linéaire,
mettant en évidence la notion de polarité en logique. La Focalisation est la
source de développements importants, allant de la programmation logique
linéaire aux approches interactives de sémantiques de jeux.  La
ludique, quant à elle, est un formalisme logique introduit par Girard
il y a une dizaine d'années dont l'élément de base est la notion
d'interaction.

Terui a revisité récemment la théorie ludique de Girard en y apportant de nouvelles perspectives,
notamment selon l'aspect calculatoire, sous le nom de computational
ludics. Je présenterai une analyse interactive du théorème de
focalisation menée dans le cadre de la Ludique de Terui, que l'on peut
voir comme une internalisation de la focalisation. J'expliquerai
également les motivations de ce travail provenant de la
remarque que la propriété de focalisation est connectée à
des résultats de théorie de la complexité algorithmique.

(Travail en collaboration avec Basaldella et Terui, RIMS, Kyoto)

Vendredi 27 novembre 2009

10.30 Christine Solnon, LIRIS Lyon, Présidente AFPC, (transparents)

Mesurer la similarité de graphes.

De nombreuses tâches telles que, par exemple, la classification et la 
recherche d'informations, nécessitent de mesurer la similarité 

d'objets. Lorsque les objets sont modélisés par des graphes, il s'agit 
alors de mesurer la similarité de graphes, c'est à dire, mettre en 
correspondance les sommets des graphes de façon à retrouver un maximum 
de caractéristiques communes. Nous présenterons tout d'abord les 
principales mesures de similarité de graphes existantes, allant de 
l'isomorphisme de (sous-)graphes, aux distances d'édition, en passant 
par la recherche de plus grands sous-graphes communs. Nous 
présenterons ensuite les principales approches de résolution utilisées 
pour résoudre ces différents problèmes. Nous décrirons enfin un 
système pour mesurer la similarité de graphes, basé sur les 
contraintes : ce système intègre un langage de haut niveau, permettant 
à un utilisateur de définir une mesure de similarité de façon 
déclarative en termes de contraintes, et un synthétiseur 
d'algorithmes, générant un algorithme de résolution adapté au problème 
décrit.


Lundi 9 novembre 2009

10.30 Nikolaus Hansen, LRI Orsay

The difficulties of black-box optimization and a stochastic variable metric approach.


Stochastic optimization techniques are recognized in practice as useful complements to classical gradient based optimization methods. Population-based stochastic optimizers, like Evolutionary Algorithms, are not as easily trapped into local optima as gradient based methods, because they operate synchronously with a set of solution points and do not exploit local gradient information.

This talk will start with defining a black-box optimization problem and discuss properties that make a function of n continuous variables difficult to optimize in practice. Then we will give an introduction into the Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES). The CMA-ES is a mature stochastic optimization method, provided with a second order model comparable to quasi-Newton methods in deterministic optimization. We will explain how CMA-ES addresses the discussed difficulties and, if time allows, we will compare the method with other deterministic and stochastic optimization methods.

Mercredi 14 octobre 2009

14.00 Sylvain Pradalier, INRIA Paris-Rocquencourt
Modeling, Simulating and Analyzing nano-machines in the nano-kappa calculus.
The modeling of biochemical systems using process-algebra languages is now a well-established domain. The main goals of this domain are to help biologists and chemists to model, simulate and analyze their systems by taking advantages of modelings done in a formal language. Typical applications are computer-base simulations, model-checking or abstract interpretation.

We focus on the study of nano-machines. Nano-machines are molecular complexes synthesized by assembling various chemical groups in order to achieve a predetermined task. They typically transform chemical events into mechanical events. Because of their intrisic concurrent and compositional nature, the modeling of such systems finds a natural candidate in process-algebra.

I will present the nano-kappa calculus, a formalism dedicated to this task. Molecules are the basic agents of the computation. The stochastic dynamics of the calculus is specified in terms of reactions which create, destroy or flip bonds between molecules and possibly change their internal state.
I will also present the modeling of the Rotaxane RaH nano-machine and what information where provided by the simulations we did.
I will finally present an encoding from the nano-kappa to the stochastic-pi calculus. We believe that reactive-based approaches like nano-kappa are easier to understand and learn than agent-based approaches, such as the  pi-calculus, and moreover that they provide modelings easy to modify, reuse and compose. However the theory of the pi-calculus is much better know, and it has more tools. The very strong correctness of this encoding should permit to use the nano-kappa calculus as a front-end language while keeping the benefits of the theory of traditional process-algebra.

Vendredi 24 avril 2009

10.30 Alexis Saurin, Université de Turin
Recherche de preuve par élimination des coupures.
Les liens entre programmation et théorie de la démonstration (par exemple dans le calcul des séquents de Gentzen) sont étroits et sont construits principalement autour de deux correspondances:
(i) la correspondance entre programmation fonctionnelle et élimination des coupures, bien connue sous le nom de correspondance de Curry-Howard;
(ii) la correspondance entre recherche de preuve et programmation logique.
Ces deux approches sont fondées sur le Hautpsatz de Gentzen qui affirme à la fois (a) la possibilité de transformer une preuve avec des coupures en une preuve sans coupure -- approche (i) -- et (b) l'admissibilité de la coupure, ie les sytèmes de preuve avec et sans coupure ont la même force déductive -- approche (ii). Pour autant, ces deux approches se sont développées de manière largement indépendante.
Je présenterai dans cet exposé un modèle de construction de preuve guidée par un processus d'élimination des coupures. Cette construction sera basée sur la Ludique de Girard qui fournit les ingrédients nécessaires à la construction. Informellement, on verra la recherche de preuve se développer au fur et à mesure que la preuve en construction se développe de manière à répondre à des tests (des "objections") qui sont autant d'instructions de recherche de preuve. On discutera ensuite de la possibilité d'utiliser ce cadre pour formuler dans les termes interactifs de la Ludique des mécanismes de contrôle de la recherche comme le backtracking ou la coupure qu'il est difficile de modéliser logiquement dans l'approche traditionnelle (ii).


Mardi 21 avril 2009

10.30 Benoit Razet, INRIA Rocquencourt

Calculs non-déterministes relationnels avec des machines d'Eilenberg.


Les machines d'Eilenberg sont un modèle de calcul non-déterministe à
base de relations qui repose sur les automates finis de la théorie des
langages formels. Samuel Eilenberg introduisit ce modèle en 1974 parce
qu'il rend compte des principaux dispositifs calculatoires de la
théorie des automates tels que les automates finis, les transducteurs,
les automates à piles mais aussi les machines de Turing. Une machine
d'Eilenberg est un automate étiqueté par des relations binaires
d'un ensemble quelconque. En interprétant la concaténation sur les mots
par la composition sur les relations, une machine d'Eilenberg définit
une union de compositions de relations. Les relations étant fermées par
union on dit du modèle qu'il est modulaire. Le non-déterminisme apparaît
à deux niveaux pour une machine : celui du graphe (décrit par un
automate non-déterministe) et celui des relations (modélisant une
opération non-déterministe).

Nous proposons une méthode pour simuler les machines d'Eilenberg en
utilisant un moteur réactif manipulant des flux. Nous détaillerons
cette approche sur les machines d'Eilenberg finies pour lesquelles la
formalisation a été complètement effectuée avec l'assistant de preuves
Coq. Ensuite nous indiquerons comment étendre ce travail pour des
machines d'Eilenberg conduisant à un paradigme très général de
programmation relationnelle.

Mardi 17 mars 2009

14.30 Nacim RAMDANI, INRIA Coprin

Non-linear continuous reachability analysis using interval constraint programming

Hybrid systems are complex dynamical systems which involve the
interaction of discrete and continuous dynamics, and are often
components of safety-critical systems. Hence, computing reachable sets
for hybrid systems is an important step when one addresses verification
or synthesis tasks. A key issue then lays in the calculation of the
reachable set for continuous dynamics with nonlinear models, even more
when uncertainty is present.
In this talk, I will show how to compute an overapproximation for the
reachable set of uncertain nonlinear continuous dynamical systems by
using guaranteed set integration. I will introduce several ways to do so.
The first way relies on a full interval method which handles whole
domains for set computation and relies on state-of-the-art validated
numerical integration methods, via Taylor series and interval analysis.
I will introduce both  techniques, and give illustrative examples using
Nedialkov VNODE software.
The second way can be used with monotone systems only but makes it
possible to bracket the uncertain nonlinear system between two nonlinear
dynamical systems where there is no uncertainty. I will overview
monotone systems and show how to use comparison principles for such
systems for computing reachable sets.
A third way relies on the Muller's existence theorem for differential
inequalities in order to bracket any uncertain dynamics between two
dynamical systems where there is no uncertainty. Here again, I will
recall this theorem and show how to use it for computing reachable sets.
For the second and third ways, the obtained bracketing systems, which
may be coupled, are often piecewise Ck-differentiable functions. Then,
validated numerical integration methods cannot be used directly. Hence,
our contribution resides in the use of hybrid automata to model the
bounding systems. I give a rule for building these automata and show how
to run them and address mode switching in a guaranteed way in order to
compute the over approximation for the reachable set. Here we also make
use of solving methods for numerical constraint satisfaction problems.
The computational cost of our method is also analyzed and shown to be
smaller that the one of classical interval techniques. Sufficient
conditions are given which ensure the practical stability of the
enclosures given by our hybrid bounding method. Examples are given which
show that the performance of our method is very promising.

Mercredi 11 mars 2009

11.15 Claudine Chaouiya, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência - Oeiras, Portugal

Qualitative Modelling of regulatory networks using High Level Petri nets: application to developmental processes

Great advances in molecular biology, genomics and functional genomics open the way to the delineation of regulatory maps controlling essential biological processes. To assess the behaviours induced by these large and complex networks, dedicated mathematical and computational tools are very much required. Here, we focus on pattern formation that relies on intracellular and intercellular interactions. We will briefly present two applications, which motivate our work, both related to Drosophila development. The first case deals with the regulatory processes underlying the dorsal appendage morphogenesis in the Drosophila egg. The segment-polarity module involved in the segmentation of the Drosophila embryo constitutes our second example.
We rely on the logical formalism to model and analyse the qualitative behaviours of the regulatory networks. After a short presentation of the logical framework, we will show how such models can be represented by means of High Level Petri nets. This representation allows us to define compact models for regulatory modules (here, a module will constitute an intracellular network) and then to compose modules interacting through intercellular signals following a given neighbouring relation. At this stage, we provide a convenient way to settle models defined as the composition of modules that are crucial in patterning processes. Finally, implementation aspects will be discussed.

Joint work with Franck Pommereau (LACL, Université Paris 12) and Hanna Klaudel (IBISC Université d'Evry-Val d'Essonne)

Mercredi 11 mars 2009

10.30 Aurélien Naldi, TAGC, Univ. de Marseille
A Reduction of logical regulatory graphs preserving essential dynamical properties
As ever larger biological molecular regulatory networks are
delineated, standard dynamical modelling and analysis approaches are
reaching their limits. To cope with the increasing complexity of these
networks, we have defined a reduction method for multi-valued logical
models. Starting with a detailed model, this method enables the
computation of a reduced model by iteratively "hiding" regulatory
components. To keep a consistent behaviour, the regulators of the
hidden nodes become regulators of their targets, for which new logical
functions are determined.

The construction of reduced models ensures the preservation of a
number of dynamical properties of the original model. In particular,
stable states and more complex attractors are conserved. More
generally, we address the question of the relationship between the
attractor configuration of the original model and that of the reduced
model, along with the issue of attractor reachability.

This novel reduction method has been implemented into our software
GINsim, and will be illustrated through its application to model
of networks involved in the control of helper T lymphocytes differentiation.
Joint work with E. Remy, D. Thieffry, C. Chaouiya


Vendredi 6 mars 2009

10.30 Fabien Corblin, IMAG Grenoble

Conception et mise en oeuvre d'un outil déclaratif pour l'analyse des réseaux génétiques discrets

Une demande croissante d'outils pour construire et décrypter des réseaux génétiques contrôlant des processus cellulaires est ressentie en biologie. Nous soutenons que l'utilisation de l'a'pproche déclarative est pertinente et applicable pour répondre aux questions des biologistes sur ces réseaux, en général partiellement connus. L'idée principale est de modéliser des connaissances portant à la fois sur la structure et la dynamique d'un réseau par un ensemble de contraintes représentant l'ensemble des solutions, de vérifier sa cohérence, de réparer une incohérence éventuelle par un relâchement automatique, et d?inférer des propriétés sur la structure et la dynamique du réseau. Pour montrer la faisabilité de l'approche, nous formalisons les réseaux discrets de R. Thomas et les propriétés biologiques pertinentes, proposons un outil reposant sur la programmation logique par contraintes en coopération avec un solveur SAT, et la validons sur des applications biologiques significatives.

14.00 Benjamin Pfeuty, ERATO Complex Systems Biology, University of TokyoFabien Corblin, IMAG Grenoble

Modeling G1 phase of mammalian cell cycle: cell fate determination and cancer onset

Upon their exit from mitosis, mammalian cells enter a G1  phase during
which they acutely sense all sorts of environmental stimuli. On the basis
of these signals that they first need to decipher and integrate, they
decide whether to undergo division, quiescence, differentiation, senescence
or apoptosis. Failures in this process may lead to cancer.

In this study, I questioned whether, despite the complexity of the G1
regulatory network, simple organizing principles might be identified that
could explain how specific input signals are converted into appropriate
cell fates. For this purpose, a mathematical model of the G1 regulatory
network has been formulated using a simplified description of activities
linked to signal transduction, cell growth, cell division and cell death.
Bifurcation analysis of the model revealed the existence of multistability
between several attractor states corresponding to G0 -arrest, G1 -arrest,
S-phase entry and apoptosis cell fates.

I will discuss the result of this modeling study from different
perspectives: (i) from a modeler's perspective, how to design a model that
captures the qualitative behavior of a certain biological process or
system; (ii) from an engineer's perspective, how feedback and feedforward
loops are combined within a regulatory network to drive the
signal-dependent switch between distinct cellular processes; (iii) from a
biologist's perspective, how the control of cell fate determination have
evolved in multicellular organisms and how it could fail thereby enabling
the emergence of cancers.

Mardi 13 mai 2008

10.30 Hugues Berry, INRIA Saclay

Individual-based simulations for cell biochemistry in crowded  environments

Standard modeling works in cell biochemistry are usually based on mean-field equations, most often referred to as "laws of mass-action". Yet, the derivation of these laws is based on strict assumptions. In particular, the reaction medium must be dilute, perfectly-mixed, three-dimensional and spatially homogeneous and the resulting kinetics are purely deterministic. Many of these assumptions may be violated in cells. Notably, single-cell measurements show that protein diffusion in most compartments (including cytosol, nucleus and membranes) is subdiffusive (anomalous diffusion). This phenomenon is mainly caused by physical obstruction to diffusion due to large-size obstacles, that actually abound in cells (organelles, internal networks, large macromolecular complexes...). Fundamentally, this experimental observation tells us that diffusion in cells is not perfectly mixing and that cellular media can be considered as spatially inhomogeneous. My objective is thus to try and evaluate what kind of behaviors can be expected that are not accounted for by the laws of mass-action.  To simulate these effects, usual stochastic kinetic approaches such as Gillespie's algorithms are not well suited, because they explicitly assume perfect mixing and do not take into account physical obstruction. Conversely, lattice gas automata or individual-based modeling appears to be the most appropriate tools.
I will present a first example concerning simple enzyme reactions in cell membranes with molecular crowding. Individual-based simulations indicate that the classical mean-field formalism for these reactions (Michaelis-Menten kinetics) fails short of describing the kinetics. Conversely, so-called "fractal" kinetics can be used to describe the observed behaviors. Furthermore, the simulations uncover a spontaneous tendency to segregate reaction substrates and products within distinct spatial zones of the membrane, i.e. a phenomenon similar to morphogenesis. Finally, I will present current perspectives & ongoing works concerning modeling of aging and protein aggregation in E. coli (with F. Taddei and A. Lindner, U571 INSERM, Necker, Paris)  and the development of hybrid discrete/continuous simulation methods

Joint workwith Olivier Michel, Ibisc Lab., University of Evry, Genopole and A. Lesne, IHES, Bures-sur-Yvette and LPTMC, Univ. P & M. Curie, Paris, France.

Vendredi 15 février 2008

11.00 Antoine Spicher, LORIA

Spatial Programming of an Amorphous Biological Medium

The MGS project is aimed at studying the use of topological notions for
programming languages and their applications in developing new data and
control structures for the simulation of dynamical systems with a
dynamical structure. These goals have led, at a theoretical level,
to the development of an approach based on two new concepts:
   1. the topological collections, a new kind of data structure relying
on the notion of cellular complex developed in algebraic topology, and
   2. the transformations, an original kind of case-based definition of
functions on topological collections
These concepts are implemented in an experimental programming language
dedicated to the specification of dynamical systems: the MGS language.

My thesis work is organized following three directions:
   1. developing the notion of topological collection of arbitrary
dimension
   2. specifying a formal semantics for MGS, especially for
transformations, and finally
   3. validating these works with numerous non trivial examples in
biology and morphogenesis.

These applications are mostly examples of dynamical systems with a
dynamical structure: the simulation of the cellular motility by
adaptive mesh subdivision, the modeling of the neurulation that exhibits
a topological modification, the numerical exact stochastic simulation of
chemical models, the modeling of plant growth coupling hormones
diffusion and cellular differentiation, declaratives implementations
of complex CAD operations like mesh refinement...

During the presentation I will start with an overview of these works.
Then I will focus on a particular example where a specific rule
application strategy based on the Gillespie stochastic simulation
algorithm is used to model chemical reactions. Finally I will present a
perspective that consists in developing a formalism to specify and
analyze a global spatial behavior and to compile it in the local
behaviors of entities of  a population and to  take advantage of
emerging properties. This project relies on recent results in different
domains like spatial programming, amorphous computing and synthetic biology.


Lundi 11 février 2008

10.30 Jean Krivine, LIX, Palaiseau

Une plateforme pour  la simulation et l'analyse de systèmes bio-moléculaires en k-calcul

Travaux réalisés en collaboration avec Vincent Danos (Laboratoire Preuves Programmes et Systèmes, CNRS), Jerome Feret (Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris), Walter Fontana (Systems Biology Department, Harvard Medical School, US).

Dans cet exposé nous présenterons une plateforme en cours de dévoloppement à Plectix Biosystems (Cambridge US) permettant d'analyser et de simuler de larges systèmes bio-moléculaires décrits dans le k-calcul de Danos et Laneve [1]. Nous introduirons en premier lieu les concepts de base de la modélisation dans le k-calcul [2], puis nous présenterons ensuite un algorithme de simulation permettant de produire des executions stochastiques d'un système k avec un coup par événement de calcul (application d'une règle et mise à jour du système) constant et indépendant du nombre d'agents simulés [3].

[1] Formal Molecular Biology, Danos et Laneve. TCS 325, 2004
[2] Rule-based modelling of cellular signalling, Vincent Danos, Jerome Feret, Walter Fontana, Russell Harmer, Jean Krivine. CONCUR'07.
[3] Scalable simulation of cellular signaling networks, Vincent Danos, Jerome Feret, Walter Fontana, Jean Krivine. APLAS'07.

Vendredi 25 janvier 2008

10.00 Jacques-Alexandre Sepulchre, INLN CNRS, Nice

Effets de rétroaction dans les cascades de signalisation intracellulaire

Classiquement, une voie de signalisation consiste en une cascade de réactions enzymatiques élémentaires   où, à chaque étape, une protéine est activée par une modification covalente induite par la réaction précédente. De plus, une fois activée, cette protéine peut jouer le rôle d'enzyme pour la réaction suivante.    Dans ce contexte, l'exemple le plus connu de modification covalente est le processus de phosphorylation/déphosporylation dans lequel la protéine est généralement  activée par l'ajout d'un groupe phosphate et désactivée par son retrait.
Un exemple connu dans ce contexte est celui des cascades de MAPKs (Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases).   Partant d'une description complète d'une cascade de cycles élémentaires,  décrite en termes de loi d'action des masses,  nous avons dérivé une approximation rigoureuse des équations cinétiques de la chaîne dans laquelle chaque cycle est décrit par une seule variable.  Le système d'équations que nous obtenons est différent de celui qui est utilisé depuis plusieurs années dans la littérature, lequel est une extension purement phénoménologique du modèle  de Goldbeter-Koshland.   Notre approche met en évidence certaines nouvelles propriétés qui, bien qu'implicitement contenues dans le modèle complet, étaient absentes dans l'approximation phénoménologique.  Une propriété clé qui apparaît dans notre jeu d'équations est l'existence d'une rétroaction exercée par chaque cycle de la chaîne sur son prédécesseur.   Cette rétroaction est non seulement à l'origine d'oscillations temporelles  amorties prédites par le modèle, mais aussi  montre qu'un signal biochimique peut se propager  pas   seulement en aval dans la chaîne, mais aussi en amont.  Cette propriété, qui  se retrouve dans le système complet,  remet en question l'idée implicite qu'une voie de signalisation est unidirectionnelle.

Jeudi 4 octobre 2007

10.30 Carlos Orlate and Frank Valencia, LIX Ecole Polytechnique

A Process Calculus for Universal Concurrent Constraint Programming: Semantics, Logic and Application

We introduce the Universal Timed Concurrent Constraint Programming (utcc) process calculus; a generalisation of Timed Concurrent Constraint Programming. The utcc calculus  allows for the specification of mobile behaviours in the sense of Milner's pi-calculus: Generation and communication of private links. We first endow utcc with an operational semantics and then  with a  symbolic semantics to deal with problematic operational aspects involving infinitely many substitutions and divergent internal computations. The novelty of the symbolic semantics is to use temporal constraints to represent finitely infinitely-many substitutions.  We also show that utcc has a strong connection with Pnueli's Temporal Logic. This connection can be used to prove reachability properties of utcc processes. As a compelling example, we use utcc  to exhibit the secrecy flaw of the Needham-Schroeder security protocol.


Mardi 31 juillet 2007

14.00 Ludovic Langevine, Mission Critical, Belgium

Ontology Driven Software Engineering for Real Life Applications

In development of any large scale software systems the Business has a
vision for a project to transform the company. However the vision is
informally and incompletely specified and subject to frequent changes
that leads to the Business-IT gap. This gap makes it difficult for IT
to give a reasonable estimate of time and cost for the project and
impacts greatly on the business case. Our experience shows that the
gap can be bridged by describing the business knowledge in a formal
language understandable by Business and consumable by computer
programs.

The Web Ontology Language, OWL, was developed to facilitate greater
machine interpretability of human knowledge by providing additional
vocabulary along with formal semantics. OWL ontologies can be enriched
by business rules using the Semantic Web Rule Language, SWRL. Those
languages forms a knowledge continuum between Business and IT, and
provides a mechanism by which the Business can drive the evolution of
the project by proposing concrete changes to the ontology.

In this talk, we will describe the ODASE platform (Ontology Driven
Architecture for Software Engineering) and demonstrate some
pedagogical applications. We will show how automatic code generation,
on top of a formal description of the Business domain, bridges the
Business-IT gap, increases the quality and the flexibility of the
application, and reduces its development and maintenance cost.

Mardi 17 juillet 2007

10h00 Jacques Robin, University of Recife, Brazil.

Towards CHR components: preliminary ideas on implementing adaptive
solvers for the built-ins constraints of a CHR base, as another CHR base

CHR was conceived as a host programming platform extension with
constraint solving rules. Any CHR base is thus a client of such host
platform that it uses as a server to solve the so-called built-in
constraints which solving is needed by the CHR base but for which there are
no definition in that base (i.e., these constraints appear only in rule
guards and bodies of the CHR base but not in any rule head). This single
client-server relationship between a CHR base and a host programming
platform can be generalized into N client-server relationships in a
component assembly of CHR bases. In such an assembly the constraints that
appear only in the guards and bodies of a client component CHR base, appear
in the heads of its server component CHR bases. We suggest some simple
methods for the server CHR base to be used to check the rule guard
entailment conditions of its client CHR bases. These methods could serve as
the basis to extend CHR with software components, to allow low-cost
engineering of large-scale and partially reusable CHR applications.

Mardi 10 juillet 2007

10h00 Jacques Robin, University of Recife, Brazil.

CHROME: a Component-Based Aspect and Object Oriented Model-Driven Architecture for a CHRv Engine

CHROME is an ongoing effort to integrate cutting-edge
reuse-fostering software engineering techniques such as components, aspects,
and object-oriented model transformations and apply them to the development
of an easily reusable and extendable adaptive inference engine for the
knowledge representation language Constraint Handling Rules with Disjunctive
bodies (CHRv). Following model-driven engineering a fully refined platform
independent model of the engine is first specified in UML2 and then
automatically transformed in several steps into source code of mainstream
component-based object-oriented imperative platforms such as Java OSGi or
C#.Net by way of model transformations implemented in INRIA's Atlas
Transformation Language. By leveraging the high expressivity and versatily
of CHRv, CHROME aims to constitute the base building block of a component
framework offering in an integrated way a variety of automated reasoning
services such as deductive entailment and
satisfiability, individual classification and concept subsumption, various
forms inheritance, default reasoning, abductive explanation generation,
truth maintenance, belief revision,  belief update, temporal projection,
planning and constraint solving in any domain.


Jeudi 5 avril 2007

13h30 Samuel Bernard, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
Synchronization-Induced Rhythmicity of Circadian Oscillators in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) host a robust, self-sustained circadian
pacemaker that coordinates physiological rhythms with the daily
changes in the environment. Neuronal clocks within the SCN form a
heterogeneous network that must synchronize to maintain timekeeping
activity. Coherent circadian output of the SCN tissue is established
by intercellular signaling factors, such as vasointestinal

polypeptide (VIP). It was recently shown that besides coordinating
cells, the synchronization factors play a crucial role in the
sustenance of intrinsic cellular rhythmicity. Disruption of
intercellular signalling abolishes sustained rhythmicity in a
majority of neurons and desynchronizes the remaining rhythmic
neurons. Based on these observations, we propose a model for the
synchronization of circadian oscillators that combines intracellular
and intercellular dynamics at the single-cell level. The model is a
heterogeneous network of
circadian neuronal oscillators where individual oscillators are damped rather
than self-sustained. We simulated different experimental conditions
and found that:
(i) In normal, constant conditions, coupled circadianoscillators quickly synchronize and produce a coherent output.
(ii) In large populations, such oscillators either synchronize or gradually lose rhythmicity, but do not run out of phase, demonstrating that rhythmicity and synchrony are co-dependent.
(iii) The number of oscillators and connectivity are important for these synchronization properties.
(iv) Slow oscillators have a higher impact on the period in mixed populations.
(v) Coupled circadian oscillators can be efficiently entrained by light-dark cycles.

Based on these results, we predict that:
(i) SCN neurons need periodic synchronization signal to be rhythmic.
(ii) A small number of neurons or a low connectivity results in desynchrony.
(iii) Amplitudes and
phases of neurons are negatively correlated.
We conclude that to understand the orchestration of timekeeping in the SCN,
intracellular circadian clocks cannot be isolated from their intercellular communication

Mercredi 4 avril 2007

10h30 David Angeli, University of Firenze, Italy & INRIA Rocquencourt
Structural monotonicity of chemical reaction networks

Systems biology is a cross-disciplinary field which aims at understanding cell life at the molecular
l
evel, viz. by systematically understanding and identifying the complex chemical interactions that take
place within individual cells and between neighboring ones. From the point of view of a systems scientist
this poses remarkable challenges both for modeling and qualitative understanding of the possible dynamical behaviours
which such models may exhibit. In this talk we try to analyze the dynamical behaviours of chemical reaction
networks by taking into account the huge uncertainties that such models often entail. We seek for qualitative
criteria which may apply to ODE models regardless of specific parameters values and which still can provide useful tools for
the study of their dynamics. Technical tools used range from monotonicity theory, to Petri nets and graph theory.
Biography:
David Angeli graduated in 1996 from University of Florence in Control Engineering, and later obtained his phD degree in Automation within the Dep. of Systems and Computer Science from the same university.
He is currently an Associate Professor in Florence as well as a visiting fellow of INRIA de Rocquencourt, Paris. His research interest include nonlinear stability analysis, chemical reaction networks, monotone dynamical systems.

Mercredi 14 mars 2007

10h30 Monika Heiner, Cottbus Technical University, Germany & INRIA Rocquencourt
Modelling and Analysis of Biochemical Networks - a Petri Net Perspective on Systems Biology

Petri nets are well-known for an intuitive and executable modelling
style, supporting at the same time exhaustive analysis techniques. Their
success stories cover application areas in various engineering
disciplines, where they have been proven to be useful for the sound
construction of technical systems. In this talk we bridge the gap from
the technical systems to natural systems and demonstrate how
well-established techniques can be reused for (some of the) challenges
current systems biology is confronted with. No prerequisite knowledge is
assumed.

Mardi 9 janvier 2007

11h00 Grégory Batt, Boston University
Combining discrete abstraction and model checking for the analysis of partially-known models of natural and synthetic gene networks
Natural gene networks are complex networks of interregulating genes that control at the molecular level the development and functioning of living organisms. Synthetic gene networks are engineered networks that confer a desired behavior to a living organism. Understanding the functioning of these networks is a central problem in systems biology and in bioengineering. However, their complex dynamics, due to the presence of feedback loops and non-linear phenomena, often defeats intuitive understanding. Moreover, the lack of precise information on parameter values hampers a model-based analysis or design of these systems.

In this talk, I will present two recently-developed methods for the verification of the dynamical properties of gene networks under parameter uncertainty. Both methods combine discrete abstraction and model checking. Discrete abstraction is used to obtain a discrete representation of the dynamics of the system in the state space for sets of parameters, and model checking is used for the verification of the dynamical properties of the abstract, discrete system. The approximations obtained by discrete abstraction are conservative. This guarantees that the properties satisfied by the abstract system also hold for the original one.

The above strategy is applied to the analysis of two different types of models, namely piecewise affine and piecewise multiaffine differential equation models. Both types of models capture essential features of genetic regulations but with different levels of detail. A coarse-grained, qualitative approach is used for the analysis of piecewise affine models. This method is well-adapted to the essentially qualitative information available on natural gene networks. A finer-grained, quantitative approach is used for the analysis of piecewise multiaffine models, well-adapted to the better-known synthetic gene networks. Though quantitative, this approach can deal with uncertain parameters specified by intervals.

The practical applicability and biological relevance of the proposed approaches are illustrated by means of two examples: the validation of a model of the nutritional stress response and the tuning of a synthetic transcriptional cascade, both in the bacterium E. coli.

Work done in collaboration with:
- Hidde de Jong (INRIA), Johannes Geiselmann (UJF, Grenoble), Jean-Luc Gouzé (INRIA), Radu Mateescu (INRIA), Michel Page (UPMF, Grenoble), Delphine Ropers (INRIA), Tewfik Sari (UHA, Mulhouse) and Dominique Schneider (UJF, Grenoble)
and
- Calin Belta (Boston University), Boyan Yordanov (Boston University) and Ron Weiss (Princeton University)

Jeudi 14 décembre 2006

11h00 Khalil Djelloul, Université d'Ulm, Allemagne

CHR et les contraintes du premier ordre autour des arbres


CHR (Constraint Handling Rules)  est un langage de programmation logique à base de règles de réécriture créé par Thom Fruehwirth dans les années 1990 et dont le fonctionnement est régit par une sémantique raffinée. Un des premiers solveurs CHR publiés est le fameux "CHR-Term-Unification-Algorithm" présenté par Thom Fruehwirth en 1993 et révisé en 1998. Ce solveur élégant sous forme de 4 règles de réécriture permet de résoudre des conjonctions d'équations à termes éventuellement non-plats (termes contenant plusieurs symboles de fonction imbriqués) dans l'algèbre des arbres rationnels.  Il a également un intérêt indéniable en programmation car il effectue l'unification des termes : le coeur même de Prolog et de plusieurs autres langages de programmation logique.  Cependant, ce dernier utilise un ordre "<" sur les termes et les variables, et sa complexité est une conjecture qui dure depuis plus de 10 ans.

Nous montrons dans cet exposé que ce solveur est de complexité exponentielle (en temps et espace) quelque soit l'ordre "<" choisi et déduisons de cette preuve une complexité quadratique O(n2) dans le cas où les termes des équations contiennent au plus un seul symbole de fonction. Nous étendons ensuite ce solveur par quelque règles CHR afin que ce dernier puisse résoudre, en une complexité quadratique, toute  conjonction quantifiée d'équations à termes non-plats dans la théorie des arbres finis ou infinis.  Nous terminons cet exposé en présentant une implantation CHR d'un solveur de contraintes du premier ordre dans une théorie étendue "T" d'arbres finis ou infinis, donnant des solutions claires et explicites aux problèmes de satisfaction de contraintes du premier ordre dans "T". Pour cela, nous étendons d'abord la signature et l'axiomatisation de Maher (1988) de la théorie des arbres finis ou infinis par une relation fini(x) qui contraint le terme "x" à être un arbre fini. Nous présentons ensuite notre solveur CHR et montrons entre autres  comment modéliser et résoudre une contrainte du premier ordre dans "T" par des règles CHR. Enfin, nous comparons les performances de notre solveur CHR avec ceux obtenues en utilisant une implantation C++ de ce solveur et de notre récente procédure de décision dédiée aux théories décomposables.

Mercredi 25 octobre 2006

11h00 Andras Kovacs, Post Doc ERCIM
Capacitated lot-sizing with sequence-dependent setups
In this talk, I will give a brief review of different models of the
lot-sizing and scheduling problem, and introduce our novel results on
modelling the common practical requirement of sequence-dependent setups.
Although lot-sizing problems have been studied in Operations Research for
many years, the latter requirement still presents a challenge for current
optimization techniques.

I will present a novel MIP formulation of the single-machine capacitated
lot-sizing and scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times and
setup costs. The model is based on determining during pre-processing all
item sequences that can appear in given time periods in optimal solutions.
The sequences are used in a mixed-integer program, parameters of which are
generated by a heuristic procedure in order to establish a tight
formulation. This model allows us to solve significantly larger problems
than what was tractable by earlier optimal solution methods, and it often
achieves orders of magnitude speedup.

Vendredi 6 octobre 2006 (salle de conf. Bât. 11)

11h00 Jacques Robin, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil.

Towards a Model-Driven Automated Reasoning Component Framework Based on

Constraint Handling Rules. 

Over the last two decades automated reasoning techniques have tremendously
diversified while becoming far better understood, formally founded and
scalable. They nevertheless remain highly underused in the larger than ever
number of mainstream software services to which they could bring a decisive
competitive edge. This is mostly due to the fact that the high level of
conceptual reuse existing among these techniques, has not been leveraged in
the software architectures of available automated reasoning systems, making
them overly difficult and costly to use, reuse, extend, customize and
integrate in larger systems. The on-going ORCAS project, a cooperation
involving several research groups, addresses this issue. It integrates four
model-driven software reuse approaches (task model reformulation, component
model assembly, aspect model weaving, and code generation) to develop a
framework of reusable automated reasoning components. It leverages and
integrates UML2 and related OMG standards for high-level
modeling, Constraint Handling Rules (CHR) for formal knowlege representation
and Java for executable code deployment.

Mercredi 22 février 2006

14h00 K. Sriram, Epigénomique, Génopole Evry,

I. Delay model for mammalian circadian rhythms and
II. Mathematical model on the dynamics of cyclical organization of simple protein network and its application to budding yeast cell cycle.


The talk consists of two parts in which discrete delay model for mammalian circadian rhythms will be dealt with in the  rst part and in the second part dynamical analysis of cyclical organization of protein networks and its application to cell division cycle will be presented. A brief abstract is given below.

Part I: A three variable discrete delay model is proposed for the circadian rhythm of the mammals with BMAL1, PER-CRY complex and REV-ERB® protein concentrations as the dynamical variables. The delay model is phenomenological in nature rather than the precise description of all the underlying complex processes. The goal is to study the e ects of delay in the circadian rhythms of mammals that appears in both the positive and negative feedback loops of the model. The delay model exhibits 24 hr limit cycle oscillations, entrainment to Light-Dark (LD) cycles and phase response curves. The model is also found to exhibit quasiperiodic and chaotic oscillations under LD cycles when delay is varied. These are linked to non 24 hrs sleep wake syndrome and cancer incidence. The delay model in essence, captures the core mechanism of the mammalian circadian rhythms with a fewer number of variables and parameters.

Part II: The dynamics of the cyclical organization of simple protein networks and its application to the budding yeast cell cycle are studied by constructing nonlinear models. The protein network consists of two small cyclical loops, where each loop in the absence of interaction with the other exhibit di erent dynam- ical behavior. Bistability is exhibited by one loop and limit cycle oscillations are exhibited by the second loop. Coupling of both the cyclical loops by positive feedback loop displays complex behavior such as multi- stability and coexistence of limit cycle and multiple steady states. The coupling of two cyclical loops by the positive feedback loop brings in the notion of checkpoint in the model. The model also exhibits dominoe like behavior, where limit cycle oscillations takes place in a stepwise fashion. As an application, the events that govern the cell cycle of budding yeast is considered for the present study. In budding yeast, the feedback interactions among the important transcription factors, cyclins and its inhibitors in G1, S-G2 and M phases are considered for the construction of the biological circuit diagram. Surprisingly, the sequential activation of the transcription factors, cyclins and its inhibitors forms two independent cyclical loops, with transcription factors involves in the cyclic positive regulation in clockwise direction, while the cyclins and its inhibitors involves in the negative regulation in anticlockwise direction. The coupling of the transcription factors and the cyclin and its inhibitors by positive feedback loops generates rich bifurcation diagram that can be related to the di erent events in the G1, S-G2 and M phases in terms of dynamical system theory. The different checkpoints in the cell cycle is accounted for by appropriately silencing the positive feedback loops that couples the transcription factors and the cyclin and its inhibitors.


Mercredi 8 février 2006

14h00 Eric Reiter, INRA Tours

Mécanismes de signalisation cellulaire induits par les récepteurs
couplés aux protéines G: exemple du récepteur de l'hormone folliculo-
stimulante (FSH).


Les récepteurs couplés aux protéines G (GPCR) représentent de loin
la famille de récepteurs membranaires la plus abondante et la plus
versatile chez les mammifères. Des GPCRs sont cruciaux pour l'ensemble
des grandes fonctions physiologiques: perception sensorielle (vision,
odorat, nociception,...), neurotransmission, systèmes endocriniens,
.. etc. Pour cette raison, les GPCRs sont directement ciblés par
plus de la moitié des médicaments actuellement utilisés. Comprendre
les mécanismes généraux et particuliers qui régissent la signalisation
cellulaires de ces récepteurs ou de certains d'entre eux reste une
question centrale en biologie.
Seulement trois familles de protéines sont capables de reconnaître
et d'interagir spécifiquement avec les GPCRs après qu'ils aient été
activés par leur ligand: les protéines G hétérotrimériques, les kinases
des GPCRs (GRKs) et les b-arrestines. Au cours des 30 dernières années,
les concepts concernant la transduction des GPCRs et leur pharmacologie
ont découlés du rôle joué par les seules protéines G hétérotrimériques.

Au cours de la première partie de ce séminaire, je traiterais des
fonctions signalétiques nouvelles des GRKs et des b-arrestines.
Je comparerais les contributions respectives des voies protéine G
et b-arrestines dependantes dans l'activation des MAP kinases ERK
par différents GPCRs; le rôle modulateur des GRKs ainsi que les sensibilités
respectives des deux mécanismes d'activation des ERKs.
Dans une seconde partie, j'expliquerais plus particulièrement notre
problématique de recherche sur le récepteur de la FSH ainsi que les
grandes lignes du projet de signalisation à « haut débit » que nous
voulons mettre en place.


Vendredi 3 février 2006

10h30 Francis Lévi, INSERM Villejuif,

Implications thérapeutiques des interactions entre cycle cellulaire et rythme circadien en cancérologie

Jeudi 26 janvier 2006 (salle de conférence du bâtiment 11)

10h30 Nicolas Beldiceanu, Ecole des Mines de Nantes,

Graph-Based Filtering

Joint work with : M. Carlsson, T. Petit, J.-X. Rampon, G. Rochart, C. Truchet

Over the past 20 years global (combinatorial) constraints have gradually
been introduced within the area of constraint programming for dealing with concrete problems.
Efficient filtering algorithms, usually based on graph theory, were developped in an ad-hoc
way for each global constraint.

This talk presents a systematic approach which aims at providing generic filtering
algorithms for global constraints. Given a specification of a global constraint C in terms
of graph properties, we show how to derive a filtering algorithm for C (i.e., check feasibility
and eliminate infeasible choices). For this purpose we present three complementary methods:

(1) The first method is based on the bounds of the graph properties used in the
description of a global constraint. We provide lower and upper bounds for frequently
used graph properties (number of arcs, vertices, connected components, strongly
connected components, sinks).

(2) The second method shows how to determine the status of vertices and arcs of an
intermediate digraph so that the final digraph does not contain more than
(resp. does no contain less than) a given fixed number of arcs, vertices, connected
components, strongly connected components, or sinks.

(3) The third method presents a database of about 200 graph invariants for deriving
systematically necessary conditions when a global constraint is defined by more than
on graph property.

We conclude with different questions raised by this approach.

14h00 Nicolas Beldiceanu, Ecole des Mines de Nantes,

Contraintes d'arbres et applications aux problèmes de phylogénie et aux problèmes de cheminement
Travail fait avec: Xavier Lorca, Pierre Flener, Irit Katriel

La première partie dresse un apercu général sur les contraintes de couverture
de graphe par des arbres, à la fois dans le cas de graphes orientés et le cas
de graphes non-orienté. Nous présentons trois contraintes de couverture par des
arbres et nous montrons comment assurer la consistance hybride (hybride car on
utilise à la fois des variables ensemblistes et des variables domaines) pour ces
trois contraintes.
La deuxième partie se focalise dans le cadre de graphe orientés sur la prise
en compte de contraintes additionelles (contraintes de précédences,
d'incomparabilité, de degré maximum) rencontrées dans des applications pratiques.
Elle donne les résultats obtenus sur des problèmes de phylogénie et de cheminement.

Lundi 23 et mardi 24 janvier 2006 (Institut Henri Poincaré, Paris)

Abstraction, modularité et compositionalité dans les réseaux géniques et protéiques

Réunion de l'ACI VicAnne et réunion de lancement de l'ARC MOCA

Mercredi 11 janvier 2006:

14h00  Stephanie Spranger, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany,

Calendars as Types
Data Modelling, Constraint Reasoning, and Type Checking with Calendars

I have investigated real-life calendars, calendar and time
expressions, and time and date formats. This work aims at the
development of computer-based tools for modeling and processing such
calendric data. The realization is based on a programming language
approach to time and calendars that essentially differs from
logic-based and algebraic approaches. The thesis underlying this work
is twofold: (1) "Calendar as Type", i.e. time and calendar
expressions are not modeled in a logic or an algebra but instead, by
means of data types. The user is provided with a set of language
constructs (so-called type constructors). Advantages of this approach
are: user-friendly modeling, increase of efficiency and consistency,
program and document annotation, and abstraction. (2) "Theory
Reasoning", i.e. problems such as appointment scheduling or travel
planning are formulated in the environment of a constraint solver
specific to arbitrary calendar domains (i.e.user-defined data types
like "day'' or "consultation hour'') rather than by axiomatization,
commonly used with approaches based on ontology modeling and
reasoning. The constraint solver refers to and relies on
(user-defined) calendric types, it maintains the semantics of
different calendric types like "day'' and "consultation hour'', and
it allows for efficient constraint solving with arbitrary calendric
data.
This work shows perspectives for future research on using data types
and specific inference algorithms (e.g. constraint solving) for
modeling and reasoning on specific theories (e.g. topologies and
locational data).
The calendar modeling language CaTTS is an outcome of this work.
This talk introduces into CaTTS and its Multi-Calendar constraint solver.

Lundi 19 décembre 2005:

14h00  Khalil Djelloul, Université de Marseille Luminy,

Théories complètes autour des arbres

Nous présentons dans cet exposé un algorithme général pour la résolution de contraintes du premier ordre dans des théories dites "décomposables". Tout d'abord, en utilisant des quantificateurs spéciaux, nous donnons une caractérisation formelle des théories décomposables et montrons quelques unes de leurs propriétés. Nous présentons ensuite un algorithme général pour la résolution de contraintes du premier ordre dans une théorie décomposable "T" quelconque. L'algorithme est donné sous forme d'un ensemble de cinq règles de réécriture. Il transforme une formule "a", qui bien entendu peut contenir des variables libres, en une conjonction "b" de formules résolues, équivalente dans T et ne faisant pas intervenir d'autre variables libres que celle de "a". Cette conjonction de formules résolues est soit la formule "vrai", soit la formule "faux", soit contient au moins une variable libre et n'est équivalente ni à "vrai" ni à "faux". En particulier, si "a" n'a pas de variables libres alors "b" est soit la formule "vrai" soit la formule "faux". La correction de notre algorithme démontre la complétude des théories décomposables.

Nous donnons ensuite une manière automatique pour mélanger une théorie T quelconque avec la théorie des arbres et montrons que sous certaines conditions très simples sur T et uniquement sur T le mélange T+arbre donne une théorie décomposable et donc complète. Nous terminons alors notre exposé par une série de benchmarks réalisées par une implantation de notre algorithme résolvant des formules sur des jeux à deux partenaires qui font intervenir des imbrications de plus de 160 quantificateurs alternés dans une théorie combinant les arbres aux rationnels additifs ordonnées (Q,+,-,<).


Jeudi 17 novembre 2005:

10h30  Jacques Cohen, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA

Towards a comprehensive view of computational approaches in systems biology.

In the past few years the number of available papers describing computational approaches in systems biology has increased significantly. These approaches vary considerably from one another. In this talk we aim to provide a birds eye view of the various methods that have been proposed to analyze and infer gene regulatory networks. In so doing we are bound to find novel combined approaches that are worth pursuing.

A rough initial classification of the current methods distinguishes between discrete and continuous, stochastic (probabilistic) and non-stochastic, analysis (forward) and inference (reverse engineering). Starting from discrete methods of analysis (e.g., Thomas, Thieffry, de Jong) we proceed to cover existing probabilistic (e.g., Shmulevich) and reverse engineering approaches (e.g., Akutsu, Somogyi) including those based on perturbation (e.g., Karp, Collins).

One of the findings based on this comprehensive view is that it is worth considering model-checking as a filter for networks being tested as possible candidate in the reverse engineering process. Another finding suggests a perturbation method for translating continuous models into discrete ones. We conclude by raising a few relevant questions about research directions in systems biology that are worth exploring.

(Work done jointly with Sam Blasiak; the talk is directed to computer scientists with no advanced knowledge in biology)

Vendredi 14 octobre 2005:

10h30  Carolyn Talcott (Stanford Research Institute, USA)

Pathway Logic: Application of Formal Modeling Techniques to Understanding Biological Signaling Processes.

Pathway Logic is an application of techniques from formal methods to
the modeling and analysis of signal transduction networks in mammalian cells.
These signaling network models are developed using Maude, a formal language and
execution environment founded on rewriting logic. Network elements (reactions)
are represented as rewrite rules. Models can be queried (analyzed) using the
execution, search and model-checking tools of the Maude system. Alternatively,
models can be exported as Petri Nets for analysis using tools specialized for
Petri Nets. The Pathway Logic Assistant (PLA) is a tool for browsing and
querying Pathway Logic models via an interactive graphical representation. A
model can be queried to find relevant subnetworks and pathways leading to
situations of interest. Situations to be avoided can be specified allowing the
user to explore knockouts and alternative pathways.
<>
In the talk we will give a brief introduction to Rewriting Logic, Maude, and
the associated analysis techniques. We will then explain how biological
signaling networks are represented, both textually and the interactive
graphical representation of the PLA. The ideas will be illustrated using a
curated model of signaling in human mammary epithelial cell. A link to
downloads of the Pathway Logic Assistant (Linux and Mac OS X), a sample
model, and some tutorial materials can be found on the Pathway Logic website
[http://www.csl.sri.com/~clt/PLweb/].

Lundi 13 juin 2005:

10h30  Albert Goldbeter (Université libre de Bruxelles)

Modélisation des rythmes circadiens: Du mécanisme moléculaire aux troubles du sommeil

 Les rythmes circadiens proviennent de boucles de rétroaction entremêlées au sein de réseaux de régulation génétique. Des modèles de complexité croissante ont été proposés pour le mécanisme moléculaire de ces rythmes qui se produisent spontanément, avec une période proche de 24 heures.  Des modèles déterministes pour les rythmes circadiens chez la drosophile rendent compte  de propriétés dynamiques telles que le déphasage ou la suppression des rythmes par une impulsion lumineuse, et l’entraînement par des cycles lumière-obscurité. Une version stochastique de ces modèles permet de tester la robustesse des oscillations circadiennes par rapport au bruit moléculaire. L’extension de la modélisation à l’horloge circadienne des mammifères contribue à clarifier les bases dynamiques de certains troubles du cycle veille-sommeil chez l’homme.

Vendredi 27 mai 2005:

10h30  Richard Lassaigne (Université Denis Diderot Paris 7)

Vérification probabiliste et approximations


Model checking is an algorithmic method allowing to automatically verify if a system which is represented as a Kripke model satisfies a given specification. Specifications are usually expressed by formulas of temporal logic. The first objective of this talk is to give an overview of methods able to verify probabilistic systems. Models of such systems are labelled discrete time Markov chains and specifications are expressed in extensions of temporal logic by probabilistic operators. The second objective is to focus on the complexity of these methods and to answer the question: can probabilistic verification be efficiently approximated? In general, the answer is negative. However, in many applications, the specification formulas can be expressed in some positive fragment of linear time temporal logic. In this paper, we show how some simple randomized approximation algorithms can improve the efficiency of the verification of such probabilistic specifications.

Mardi 3 mai 2005:

14h00  Vladislav Vyshemirsky (University of Glasgow, Scotland)

Analysis of signalling pathways using the PRISM model checker

We describe a new modelling and analysis approach for signal transduction networks in the presence of incomplete data. We illustrate the approach with an example, the RKIP inhibited ERK pathway. 
Our models are based on high level descriptions of continuous time Markov chains: reactions are modelled as synchronous processes and concentrations are modelled by discrete, abstract quantities. The main advantage of our approach is that using a (continuous time) stochastic logic and the PRISM model checker, we can perform quantitative analysis of queries such as if a concentration reaches a certain level, will it remain at that level thereafter? We also perform standard simulations and compare our results with a traditional ordinary differential equation model. An interesting result is that for the example pathway, only a small number of discrete data values is required to render the simulations practically indistinguishable.

Mercredi 13 avril 2005:

11h00  Erik Sandewall (Linköping University, Suède)

Renaissance et Reforme dans le Domaine du Logiciel

The work reported here is performed in a broader context where we propose to change the overall software architecture (operating systems, programming languages, etc etc) in order to eliminate the considerable redundancy of concepts and constructs that contemporary software technology exhibits. This requires, among other things, a realignment so that some constructs that used to be placed on higher levels of software now become incorporated in a kernel on a much lower level.

In this framework, we propose in particular to use the construct of an *action* already in the kernel, whereby it becomes available for many applications as a conceptual and computational resource and in a uniform fashion. The article describes and discusses the ramifications of this approach, including how it relates to the current state of the art in logics of actions and change, as well as the nonmonotonic character of one of its computational constructs.

Vendredi 25 février 2005:

10h30  Kazunori Ueda (Waseda University, Tokyo)

LMNtal: a Language Model with Logical Links and Membranes

LMNtal (pronouned "elemental") is a simple language model based on graph rewriting that uses logical variables to represent links and
membranes to represent hierarchies. The two major goals of LMNtal are (i) to unify various computational models based on multiset rewriting and (ii) to serve as the basis of a truly general-purpose language covering various platforms ranging from wide-area to embedded computation. Another contribution of the model is it greatly facilitates programming with dynamic data structures.

LMNtal is an outcome of the attempt to unify two extensions of concurrent logic programming, namely concurrent constraint programming and Constraint Handling Rules, where our focus has been multiset rewriting rather than constraint handling. At the same time, LMNtal can be regarded as a hierarchical multiset rewriting language augmented with logical links, and many computational models including Petri Nets, Gamma, the pi-calculus, etc., can be encoded into LMNtal.

Yet another view of LMNtal is a constructor-free linear concurrent logic language in which data structures are encoded as process structures. Constructor-freeness means that LMNtal links are zero-assignment variables, where the purpose of a variable is to connect two points using a private identity. Multisets are supported by the membrane construct that allows both nesting and mobility. Logical links can represent (among other things) communication channels, but the key differences from pi-calculus channels are that
(i) a message sent through a link changes the identity of the link and
(ii) links are always private.

The LMNtal system, running on a Java platform, has been released and the talk will include animating demonstrations of the system in addition to language issues.

Mercredi 5 janvier 2005:

10h30  Benno Schwikowski (Institut Pasteur)

Computational Systems Biology at Institut Pasteur: Enabling high-throughput mass spectrometry, and integrating heterogeneous data in large-scale interaction networks

This talk will highlight the two major areas of interest of our new research Unite at Institut Pasteur. The first part of the talk will focus on the dev

elopment of new measurement approaches, in particular a novel way to interpret data acquired from mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of very complex samples. Typically, multidimensional liquid chromatography (LC) is used to separate such samples into fractions of lower complexity. Until now, the multidimensional structure among samples has not been used, but we will demonstrate how dimensionality can be exploited to improve many aspects of the experimental-computational protocol for identifying and quantifying proteins on a large scale.

Our second interest lies in the integration of heterogeneous data types in molecular interaction networks. We will present a novel approach to find sequence motifs relevant for protein interactions. In addition to sequence information, an experimentally determined large-scale interaction network is used. The introduction of this new type of data allows the efficient usage of a more complex and realistic model for biologically and medically important families of proteins, and leads to improved predictions of protein interactions.


Jeudi 25 novembre 2004:

14h00-17h00 André Gagalowicz (projet MIRAGES)

  Modélisation texturelle.

Vendredi 19 novembre 2004:

14h00 Luc de Raedt (University of Freiburg, Allemagne)

An overview of some traditional ILP systems that might be of interest to Biocham

Mardi 5 octobre 2004:

10h30 Yann Georget (Koalog)

Présentation et architecture de Koalog Constraint Solver

Dans cet exposé, je présenterai Koalog Constraint Solver, une bibiothèque Java pour la programmation par contraintes. Après avoir justifié le choix du langage (Java) et la forme (bibiothèque), je passerai en revue plusieurs choix d'architecture pour la réalisation de Koalog Constraint Solver : couches logicielles, généricité du noyau de base, ordonnancement des contraintes, références backtrackables, . . . Koalog Constraint Solver étant optimisé pour les contraintes globales, je détaillerai l'une d'elles, la contrainte Disjunctive (pour l'ordonnancement disjonctif). Enfin, je donnerai quelques résultats concernant les performances de Koalog Constraint Solver et présenterai quelques axes de R&D.


Vendredi 1er octobre 2004 (salle de conférence du bâtiment *11*):

10h30 Jean Clairambault (INRIA-INSERM Villejuif))

Modéliser l’apoptose : buts, questions, outils

Vendredi 17 septembre 2004:

10h30 Laurence Calzone (INRIA, Post-doc ARC CPBIO)

How could learning methods for parameter estimation assist biologists/modelers?

We propose to present an example of a generic kinetic model of the mammalian cell cycle.  We will expose the different problems raised by fitting the experimental data  and the techniques used in developing such numerical models.  General ideas on how automated ways in parameter search could assist the biologist will be developed.


Mardi 20 juillet 2004:

10h30 Laurence Calzone (Budapest, Hungary & Virginia State University)

Modélisation mathématique du cycle cellulaire chez la levure et la drosophile.

Des modèles mathématiques ont été réalisés dans le but de décrire les mécanismes de régulation du cycle cellulaire chez les levures (Saccharomyces cerevisiae et Schizosaccharomyces pombe) et les mammifères. Ces modèles représentent essentiellement des interactions entre protéines menant à la division cellulaire. Beaucoup de ces réseaux de protéines se retrouvent dans les cellules somatiques et embryonnaires de plusieurs eucaryotes. Cependant, la régulation de ces deux types de cellules présente des aspects différents et inattendus selon l'organisme. Ainsi, nous proposons d'étudier en détails les cycles cellulaires embryonnaires de la drosophile (Drosophila melanogaster). Juste après la fécondation, une série de treize cycles est observée suivie d'un arrêt en phase G2. Durant ces cycles rapides et synchronisés, les noyaux se divisent mais continuent de partager le même cytoplasme. Le fait le plus singulier est que, durant ces divisions, la quantité totale du complexe Cdk1/CycB (aussi appelé MPF) n'oscille que dans les derniers cycles, ce qui est contraire aux observations et au rôle associés à ce complexe. En effet, les cycles de divisions nucléaires sont généralement régulés par l’activité des complexes Cdk1/CycB.

Après une courte présentation d'un modèle du cycle cellulaire chez la levure, je proposerai un modèle décrivant les treize cycles cellulaires chez la drosophile. Quelques modifications d'un modèle déjà existant de Xenopus (telles que compartimentation et dégradation locale de certaines composantes du système) permettent de simuler des phénomènes observés expérimentalement.

Vendredi 14 mai 2004, Bâtiment 1, amphithéatre Turing:

9h30-16h30 Revue finale du projet RNTL OADymPPaC
Outils pour l'Analyse Dynamique et la mise au Point de
Programmes avec Contraintes

   9.30  Café d'accueil
 10.00  Introduction
 10.15  Présentations techniques et démos
 11.30  Pause
 11.45  Présentations techniques et démos    13.00  Déjeuner sur place (sur invitation)
 14.30
 Présentations techniques et/ou Discussion avec les experts
 15.30  Pause et clôture des exposés
 16.00
 Discussion ouverte (travaux futurs)
 16.30
 Clôture 

Programme détaillé sur http://contraintes.inria.fr/OADymPPaC/Public/Revue/progr.html

Lundi 8 mars 2004:

10h30 Alexandre Frey (Trusted Logic)

Problèmes de contraintes pour le sous-typage en monde ouvert.

L'exposé portera sur une partie de mon travail de thèse.

J'ai étudié le typage à la ML d'un langage d'ordre de supérieur avec objets, multi-méthodes, et sous-typage. Une approche algébrique m'a permis de réduire de façon générique le typage à un problème de contraintes. La correction du typage est montrée moyennant quelques axiomes minimaux sur l'algèbre domaine d'interprétation de ces contraintes.

Cette réduction est indépendante du modèle effectivement utilisé pour interpréter les contraintes. J'ai utilisé cette propriété pour décrire finement le typage de l'aspect "monde ouvert" des langages à objets. Cette caractérique essentielle permet d'utiliser un module dans un "monde" qui n'est pas connu au moment de son écriture.

Je discuterai de la description de cet aspect en terme de quantification sur le modèle utilisé pour interpréter les contraintes (quantification sur toutes les extensions possibles). Je tenterai une classification des problèmes obtenus. Nous pourrons ensuite discuter de leur originalité et des connections avec d'autres domaines, en particulier la programmation logique par contraintes.

Lundi 5 janvier 2004:

14h00 François Fages (INRIA Rocquencourt)

La machine abstraite biochimique BIOCHAM: un pas vers une biologie formelle.

   La biologie est clairement engagée dans un travail d'élucidation des processus biologiques de haut niveau en termes de leurs bases biochimiques à l'échelle moléculaire. La production en masse de données post-génomiques (expression génique, synthèse de protéines, intéractions protéines-protéines, etc.) soulève le besoin d'un effort parallèle important sur la représentation formelle des processus biochimiques et de leur dynamique globale.

Dans cet exposé nous proposons un langage simple de modélisation de processus biochimiques et l'utilisation de la logique temporelle CTL comme langage d'expression des propriétés biologiques d'un système. Nous montrons que les techniques de vérification symbolique de modèles (issues de la preuve de circuits et de programmes concurrents) s'appliquent aux réseaux biochimiques, et qu'elles présentent certains avantages sur la simulation pour interroger et valider des modèles formels de processus biologiques. Nous dresserons un bilan de nos expériences sur la conception du langage BIOCHAM à travers la modélisation et l'interrogation de plusieurs exemples de processus biochimiques, dont un modèle qualitatif du contrôle du cycle cellulaire chez les mammifères.

(Travail joint avec Nathalie Chabrier-Rivier et Sylvain Soliman en collaboration avec l'ARC CPBIO)

  Lundi 18 août 2003:

11h00 Stephen Muggleton  (Imperial College, Londres)

Inductive logic programming in bioinformatics.

   We present the inductive logic programming system Progol and relate our experience of using Progol in two applications in bionformatics: one in the functional genomics of the yeast, and one for predicting the toxicity of proteins.

Vendredi 6 décembre 2002, lieu: Paris, Université Paris 6,

Salle C769, 8 rue du Capitaine Scott, 75015 Paris (Metro Dupleix)


15h00 Vincent Devloo  (SCMBB, Faculté des Sciences de Bruxelles)

Vers la modélisation du réseau des processus cellulaires

   L'Analyse Logique Généralisée (René Thomas et collaborateurs) est
une théorie permettant de mettre en évidence des comportements
multistationnaires et périodiques dans le cadre de la modélisation de
réseaux génétiques. Elle permet ainsi de caractériser la différentiation
et l'homéostasie. Dans le cadre de mon travail de thèse, une
reformalisation de la théorie ainsi que l'utilisation de la programmation
par contraintes ont permis de rendre la théorie accessible à des systèmes
beaucoup plus grands que précédemment. Je présente aussi un logiciel de
modélisation permettant le "reverse engeenering" et
l'expérimentation virtuelle. Enfin, deux applications tirées de la
littérature sont examinées à l'aide des outils théoriques et logiciels
développés, dont l'une concerne un réseau non génétique afin de mettre en
évidence la pertinence de la théorie dans un cadre plus général.
 

Jeudi 8 août 2002:

11h00 Rafaël Ramirez-Melendez (INRIA Rocquencourt)

A constraint-based methodology for concurrent programming

   The task of programming concurrent systems is substantially more
   difficult than the task of programming sequential systems with respect
   to both correctness and efficiency. In this talk we describe a
   constraint-based methodology for writing concurrent applications.
   A system is modeled as: (a) a set of processes containing a sequence
   of markers, denoting the processes points of interest; and (b) a
   constraint store. Process synchronization is specified declaratively
   by incrementally adding constraints on the markers' execution order
   into the constraint store. The store, thus, acts as a coordination
   entity which on the one hand encapsulates the system synchronization
   requirements, and on the other hand, provides a declarative
   specification of the system concurrency issues. This provide great
   advantages in writing concurrent programs and manipulating them
   while preserving correctness.
 

Lundi 10 décembre 2001:

11h00 Arnaud Courtois (LORIA, Nancy)

Modélisation de systèmes biologiques en programmation par contraintes

L'exposé essaiera de montrer que l'utilisation de la programmation
concurrente par contraintes hybrides est à même de reproduire
différentes techniques de modélisations usuelles en biologie.
Après un bref résumé du contexte qui nous intéresse, seront
présentés le langage de programmation utilisé, différents modèles
dynamiques, ainsi que des exemples de modélisations.
La conclusion portera sur les limites de la modélisation, en particulier
les possibilités de raffinement ou les obligations de simplification.
 

13h30 Vincent Danos (CNRS, PPS Paris)

Communication et Controle: le EEP-calculus

On construit un modèle de communication, le EEP-calcul,
du type PI-calcul ou JOIN-calcul appliqué (c'est-à-dire avec "locations").
A la différence des modèles usuels, les processus résidents
exercent un contrôle sur les processus mobiles, avec notamment la
possiblité de transformer dynamiquement les noms d'un agent (masquerading).
Environnements agressifs, rapiéçage (patch) dynamique, séquestration de
processus mobiles ont une représentation simple dans le calcul.
 
 

Jeudi 8 novembre 2001:

11h00 Pierre Boullier (INRIA Rocquencourt)

Les grammaires à concaténation d'intervalles

Ce séminaire va être consacré à la présentation des grammaires à concaténation
d'intervalles (range concatenation grammars -- RCG).  C'est un formalisme
syntaxique qui est à la fois simple, puissant et efficace.  En fait, les RCG
définissent exactement la sous-classe des langages dépendant du contexte qui
peut s'analyser en temps polynomial.  Bien sûr, cette sous-classe contient les
langages non-contextuels, mais aussi, par exemple, les langages « mildly
context-sensitive », célèbres en traitement de la langue naturelle.  D'autre
part, les RCG ont des propriétés de fermeture (clôture par intersection et
complémentation) qui les rendent modulaires.

Les applications déjà réalisées montrent que les temps d'exécution des
analyseurs produits, fonction polynomiale de la longueur du source, sont
particulièrement compétitifs.  Outre les langues naturelles, Les RCG pourraient
trouver des applications en biologie (prédiction des structures secondaires de
l'ARN ou de protéines),  ou même servir de base à une "extension" des DCG.

Mardi 12 juin 2001:

14h00 Hubert Dubois (LORIA Nancy)

Programmer avec des objets et des contraintes en ELAN

Partant d'une volonté de développer des systèmes de règles de
production en calcul de réécriture, nous avons dégagé un
formalisme de règles travaillant sur une mémoire de travail composée
d'objets et coopérant avec une base de contraintes.
L'application de cet ensemble de règles est contrôlé par
des stratégies.

Le système ELAN est un environnement reposant sur le paradigme de
règles et stratégies. Le calcul de réécriture est un nouveau calcul
permettant de définir une sémantique uniforme dans laquelle on peut
exprimer à la fois les termes et le concept d'application de règles
sur ces termes. Le calcul de réécriture fournit une sémantique
opérationnelle au système ELAN.

On a donc développé une extension objet pour le langage ELAN
respectant la sémantique du calcul de réécriture, ainsi qu'un
formalisme de règles permettant de manipuler à la fois objets et
contraintes associées.  L'ensemble forme un nouveau paradigme de
programmation permettant de modéliser des problèmes de planification
ou d'ordonnancement par exemple.
 

Lundi 21 mai 2001: Second CSE Penn State-ENS-INRIA Workshop on "Logic and Concurrency"


11h00-12h00 Dale Miller, CSE, Penn State

Encoding Generic Judgments

14h00-14h45 Jeremie Wajs, CSE Penn State

Reasoning about logic programs

14h45-15h30  Sorin Craciunescu, INRIA Rocquencourt

A Soundness Proof of a Formal System for Equivalence of Logic Programs
 

Mardi 22 mai 2001: Second CSE Penn State-ENS-INRIA Workshop on "Logic and Concurrency"

11h00-12h00 Catuscia Palamidessi, CSE, Penn State
(joint work with Oltea Mihaela)

Challenges and Promising Directions in the Distributed Implementation of Choice

14h00-14h45 Frank Valencia, BRICS, Aarhus, Danemark
(joint work with Catuscia Palamidessi , CSE, Penn State)

A Calculus for Temporal Constraint Programming

14h45-15h30 Lionel Kalill, ENS Paris
(joint work with Maribel Fernandez)

Reseaux d'interaction avec ambiguite
 
 
 

Vendredi 20 avril 2001 (Université Paris 7 Chevaleret salle 1C6):

10h30 Soutenance de thèse de Sylvain Soliman (INRIA Rocquencourt, Univ. Paris 7)

Programmation concurrente avec contraintes et logique linéaire

Dans cette thèse, nous étudions les liens étroits entre la logique
linéaire et la programmation concurrente par contraintes, sous l'angle de la
sémantique, et plus précisément de la vérification de programmes.

Nous raffinons les observables caractérisables grâce a la logique linéaire et
étendons des résultats antérieurs, afin d'obtenir une sémantique plus précise
et plus générale. Ces résultats sont obtenus par une traduction plus fidèle des
agents en formules logiques et un enrichissement de la théorie.

Nous présentons aussi une méthode originale de preuves de programmes, basée sur
la sémantique de la prouvabilité de la logique linéaire: la sémantique des
phases. Celle-ci nous donne un outil de vérification avec de nombreuses bonnes
propriétés: la possibilité de montrer une propriété universelle du programme
simplement par un contre-exemple; une facilite d'abstraction; enfin la
simplicité des preuves obtenues.

Nous construisons donc une méthode systématique de preuve et, après l'avoir
testée avec succès sur des exemples classiques, nous étudions son
automatisation. Cette étude aboutit a l'implémentation d'un prototype de
prouveur qui accompagne un interpréteur pour les langages linéaires concurrents
avec contraintes.

14h00 Catuscia Palamidessi (CSE, Penn State, USA)
(Joint work with Mihaela Herescu)

On the generalized dining philosophers problem.

The problem of the dining philosophers, proposed by Dijkstra, is a
very popular example of control problem in distributed systems. In the classic
formulation the philosophers sit at a round table and there is a fork between
any two philophers. In order to eat, each philosopher needs both his adjacent
forks. The aim is to make sure that if there are hungry philosophers then some
of them will eventually eat (deadlock freedom), or, more ambitiously, that
every hungry philosopher will eventually eat (lockout freedom).

In the early 80's, Lehman and Rabin showed that there exist no deterministic,
fully distributed and symmetric solution to the problem of the dining
philosophers, and they proposed two randomized solutions: one which guarrantees
deadlock freedom with probability 1 and another one which guarrantees lockout
freedom with probability 1.

In this talk, we consider a generalization of the dining philosophers problem
where the number of philosophers can exceed the number of forks (although each
philosopher can still only access two forks), and we study whether the
randomized algorithms of Lehman and Rabin still work in this situation. We show
that the answer is "No": in most cases, a malicious scheduler can induce a
deadlock. We then show a randomized solution, still fully distributed and
symmetric, which works for any number of philosophers and any kind of
connection graph, and guarrantees lockout freedom with probability 1.
 
 

Jeudi 8 mars 2001:

10h30 Dao Thi Bich Hanh  (LIM, Marseille)

Résolution de contraintes du premier ordre dans la théorie des arbres finis ou
infinis

Le sujet de cet exposé est la résolution de contraintes dans la théorie complète
T des arbres éventuellement infinis. Ces contraintes se présentent sous forme de
formules générales du premier ordre construites à partir d'un ensemble infini de
symboles d'opérations et de l'égalité. Par, résoudre une contrainte p dans T,
nous entendons : transformer p en une contrainte q équivalente dans T, qui est la
constante logique Vrai si p est toujours vraie dans T, est la constante Faux si p
est toujours fausse dans T. De plus, si p ou sa négation a une base fini de
solutions dans un modèle de T, alors ces solutions ou non-solutions doivent être
explicites dans q.

Après avoir introduit l'algèbre des arbres et montré qu'elle constitue bien un
modèle de la théorie des arbres, nous montrons que nos contraintes ont un pouvoir
d'expression << quasi-universel >> et proposons un algorithme en 11 règles de
réécriture de sous-formules pour les résoudre. Nous considérons ensuite la
structure obtenue en introduisant dans cette algèbre un prédicat unaire fini(x),
exprimant que x est un arbre fini. Nous proposons une extension TuFINI de la
théorie T admettant cette structure comme modèle. Nous donnons un algorithme pour
résoudre les contraintes dans TuFINI en 16 règles de réécriture et concluons
ainsi que TuFINI est une théorie complète. Nous donnons également un système de
12 règles de réécriture qui effectue le même type de résolution de contraintes
dans la théorie des arbres finis. Nous terminons par des détails sur
l'implantation d'algorithmes de résolution de contraintes, dans la théorie T des
arbres éventuellement infinis et dans la théorie des arbres finis. Les exemples
qui nous ont servi à montrer le pouvoir d'expression de nos contraintes nous
permettent de produire des benchmarks intéressants.

Mardi 27 février 2001:

14h00 Slim Abdennadher (Univ. Ludwig Maximilian de Munich)

Automatic Generation of Rule-based Constraint Solvers

A general approach to implement propagation and simplification of
  constraints consists of applying rules over these constraints.
  However, a difficulty that arises frequently when writing a
  constraint solver is to determine the constraint propagation
  algorithm. In this talk, we present a method for generating
  propagation and simplification rules for constraints over finite
  domains defined extensionally by e.g. a truth table or their
  tuples.  The generation of rules is performed in two steps. In a
  first step, only propagation rules are generated. This method is
  inspired by techniques used in the field of knowledge
  discovery. In a second step, some propagation rules are transformed
  into simplification rules. The method is based on a confluence
  notion, i.e. a technique adapted from rewriting systems.  Using our
  algorithm, the user has the possibility to specify the admissible
  syntactic forms of the rules. The generated rules will be
  implemented as rules of the language Constraint Handling Rules.
 

Jeudi 23 novembre 2000:

10h30 Tomasz Truderung (University of Wroclaw, Pologne)

Polymorphic Directional Types.

We present a directional, polymorphic, rule based type system for logic programming languages. We discuss the notion of main type and present the main type reconstruction algorithm. We describe the current state of implementation, and show some sample runs of our algorithms. We analyse their practical time complexity. We also discuss the possibility of embedding our system in real life languages such as Prolog.

13h30 Emmanuel Coquery (INRIA)

Typed Constraint Logic Programs:
checking domain coercions and metaprograms through subtyping.

We propose a general prescriptive type system with parametric polymorphism and subtyping for constraint logic programs.  The aim of this type system is to detect programming errors statically. It introduces a type discipline for constraint logic programs and modules, while maintaining the capabilities of performing the usual coercions between constraint domains and of typing meta-programming predicates, thanks to the flexibility of subtyping.  The property of subject reduction expresses the consistency of the type system w.r.t. the execution model: if a program is ``well-typed'', then all derivations starting in a ``well-typed'' goal are again ``well-typed''.  That property is proved w.r.t. the abstract execution model of constraint programming which proceeds by accumulation of constraints.  We describe our implementation of the system for type checking and type inference.  We report our experimental results on type checking the libraries of Sicstus Prolog and other Prolog programs.
 

 Mercredi 13 septembre 2000, bâtiment 16:

10h30 Rajeev Goré, Australian National University.

CardKt: Automated Multi-modal Deduction on Java Cards for Multi-application Security.

We describe an implementation of a Java program to perform automated deduction in propositional multi-modal logics on a Java smart card.  The tight space limits of Java smart cards make the implementation non-trivial. A potential application is to ensure that applets down-loaded off the internet conform to personalised security  permissions stored on the Java card using a security policy encoded  in multi-modal logic. In particular, modal logic may be useful to  ensure that previously checked ``trust'' relationships between  addition of a new applet. That is, by using multi-modal logic to express notions of permissions and obligations, we can turn the security check into an on-board theorem proving task. Our theorem prover itself could be down-loaded ``just in time'' to perform the check, and then deleted to free up space on the card once the check  has been completed. Our work is thus a ``proof of principle'' for the application of formal logic to the security of multi-application Java cards.

 

Lundi 17  juillet 2000: CSE Penn State-ENS-INRIA Workshop on "Logic and Concurrency"


11h00-12h00 Dale Miller, CSE, Penn State

Encoding Transition Systems in Sequent Calculus

14h00-14h45 Jeremie Wajs, CSE Penn State

A theorem prover for operational semantics

14h45-15h20  Sorin Craciunescu, INRIA Rocquencourt

Proofs by Coinduction for Logic Programs

15h40-16h20 Sylvain Soliman, INRIA Rocquencourt

Semantics and Precision
 

Mardi 18 juillet 2000: CSE Penn State-ENS-INRIA Workshop on "Logic and Concurrency"

11h00-12h00 Catuscia Palamidessi , CSE, Penn State

Concurrent Constraint Programming with Process Mobility

14h00-14h45 Oltea Mihaela Herescu, CSE, Penn State.

Probabilistic Asynchronous Pi-Calculus

14h45-15h30 Lionel Khalil, ENS Paris

Generalization of Interaction Nets with a Unique Parallel Agent
 

Mardi 23 mai 2000

10h30 Daniel Diaz, INRIA, Univ. Paris 1.

GNU-Prolog: un compilateur natif pour Prolog intégrant un résolveur decontraintes sur les domaines finis.

Nous présenterons le système GNU-Prolog, un compilateur natif pour le langage Prolog incluant un puissant  résolveur de contraintes sur les domaines finis. Le système GNU-Prolog a été retenu par GNU pour etre le Prolog officiel de cette organisation. Après un aperçu général de GNU-Prolog, nous détaillerons le schéma de compilation de GNU-Prolog. Celui-ci est basé sur un langage intermédiaire de bas niveau qui reste toutefois indépendant de la machine. Un programme Prolog+contraintes est donc compilé vers ce langage qui est ensuite traduit vers l'assembleur de la machine cible. Cette dernière étape est simplifiée du fait que ce langage intermédiaire est basé sur un jeu d'instructions réduit. Enfin, nous montrerons quelques aspects du résolveur de contraintes sur les domaines finis de GNU-Prolog et, en particulier, le langage de description de contraintes permettant à l'utilisateur de définir de  nouvelles contraintes si nécessaire.

Jeudi 13 avril  2000

14h Jean-Pierre Banâtre,  INRIA Dir. UR Rocquencourt.

Gamma et la programmation par transformation de multi-ensembles.

Gamma fut  propose a l'origine en  1986  comme  un formalisme pour  la definition de programmes non sequentiels.  L'idee de base sous-jacente au formalisme consiste a decrire le calcul comme une forme de reaction chimique dans une solution de donnees individuelles.  De par la nature tres minimale du langage, et l'absence  de biais sequentiel,  il a ete possible d'exploiter  le  paradigme initial dans  diverses directions. Dans cet expose  nous ferons  un survol des travaux effectues dans  ce domaine, en insistant sur

1) la programmation parallele par transformation de multi ensembles,
2) l'interet du modele de reaction chimique,
3) les extensions du modele d'origine et
4) les questions d'implementation. multi-ensembles.
 

Jeudi 2 mars 2000

14h00 Aviv Regev, Udi Shapiro, Weizmann Institute.

Representing Biomolecular Processes with Process Algebra:pi-Calculus as a Formalism for Signal Transduction Networks

Molecular processes, such as gene expression, metabolism and signal transduction (ST) networks play a key role in the normal and pathological function of cells, tissues and organisms.  However, while biomolecular sequence and structure information has an objective representation that is amenable to critical evaluation and computer manipulation, knowledge of biomolecular processes has so far eluded such representation and study.  We propose to treat these molecular systems as concurrent computational processes using process algebras. In particular, we show that complex ST pathways can be represented formally in the pi-calculus.  pi-calculus representations of ST unify dynamic behavior and function of pathways with the molecular details that underly this behavior. They provide a comprehensive model of ST, which is both mathematically well-defined and biologically visible. This model is amenable to simulation studies, analogous to mutational manipulation and experimentation, as well as to formal verification and analysis. Furthermore, based on notions of behavioral equivalence, pathways may be compared to each other, and a novel measure of homology, the "homolgy of process" can be established. Thus, adopting such a common formalism may facilitate our understanding of the function and evolution of biomolecular processes.
 

Mercredi 23 février 2000: Journée "Contraintes et Chaos", Bâtiment 16

9h30 Arnaud Lallouet, LIFO Orléans

Une sémantique co-inductive pour la propagation de contraintes et le labeling.

10h30 Gérard Ferrand, LIFO Orléans

Relaxation parfaite de contraintes.

11h30 François Fages, INRIA

Propagation de contraintes et itération chaotique.
 

Mardi 8 février 2000

14h-15h Pierre-Etienne Moreau, Bouygues DTN.

Compilation de regles de reecriture et de strategies non-deterministes'

Les techniques de réécriture ont été développées depuis les années 1970 et appliquées en particulier au prototypage des spécifications formelles algébriques et à la démonstration de propriétés liées à la vérification de programmes.

ELAN est un système qui permet de spécifier et d'exécuter des démonstrateurs, des résolveurs de contraintes et plus généralement tout processus décrit par des règles de transformation. Il possède des opérateurs associatifs-commutatifs (AC) et un langage de stratégies qui permettent une gestion fine de l'exploration d'un arbre de recherche et une manipulation aisée d'opérateurs mathématiques tels que les connecteurs booléens, les opérateurs arithmétiques ou les opérateurs de composition parallèle par exemple.

Ces deux notions améliorent grandement l'expressivité du langage mais introduisent un double non-déterminisme lié à la possibilité d'appliquer plusieurs règles, de différentes façons, sur un terme donné. Cela rend difficile et généralement peu efficace leur implantation.

L'objectif principal de ce travail est d'étudier des techniques de compilation qui améliorent l'efficacité de ce type de langages. Nous proposons un nouvel algorithme, à base d'automates déterministes, pour compiler efficacement le filtrage syntaxique. Nous définissons ensuite différentes classes de règles pour lesquelles nous proposons un algorithme efficace de filtrage AC. Cet algorithme utilise une structure de donnée compacte et les automates définis précédemment, ce qui améliore considérablement les performances du processus de normalisation dans son ensemble.

L'étude du langage de stratégies conduit à implanter des primitives originales de gestion du backtracking et à définir un algorithme d'analyse du déterminisme permettant de réduire leur usage et d'améliorer encore les performances, tout en réduisant l'espace mémoire nécessaire. Enfin, l'implantation des méthodes proposées a donné lieu à l'élaboration de nombreuses optimisations théoriques et techniques qui peuvent être largement réutilisées pour implanter d'autres langages de programmation par réécriture.




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