Variability Abstraction and Refinement for Game-Based Lifted Model Checking of Full CTL

One of the most promising approaches to fighting the configuration space explosion problem in lifted model checking are variability abstractions. In this work, we define a novel game-based approach for variability-specific abstraction and refinement for lifted model checking of the full CTL, interpreted over 3-valued semantics. We propose a direct algorithm for solving a 3-valued (abstract) lifted model checking game. In case the result of model checking an abstract variability model is indefinite, we suggest a new notion of refinement, which eliminates indefinite results. This provides an iterative incremental variability-specific abstraction and refinement framework, where refinement is applied only where indefinite results exist and definite results from previous iterations are reused. The practicality of this approach is demonstrated on several variability models

Slot Games for Detecting Timing Leaks of Programs

In this paper we describe a method for verifying secure information flow of programs, where apart from direct and indirect flows a secret information can be leaked through covert timing channels. That is, no two computations of a program that differ only on high-security inputs can be distinguished by low-security outputs and timing differences. We attack this problem by using slot-game semantics for a quantitative analysis of programs. We show how slot-games model can be used for performing a precise security analysis of programs, that takes into account both extensional and intensional properties of programs. The practicality of this approach for automated verification is also shown.Comment: In Proceedings GandALF 2013, arXiv:1307.416

The pricing of infrastructure initial public offerings : evidence from Australia

This paper explores first-day returns on infrastructure entity initial public offerings (IPOs) in Australia from 1996 to 2007. While a good deal has been written on the first-day returns of industrial and mining company IPOs and Real Estate Investment Trust IPOs, first-day returns of infrastructure entity IPOs have yet to be reported in the literature. The study uses ordinary least squares regression analysis to identify factors that might influence the percentage first-day returns theoretically available to investing subscribers and factors that might influence the aggregate amount of money left to subscribers by issuers. The study finds that first-day returns, on average, are not significantly different from zero. There is evidence, however, that suggests higher dividend yields and higher percentage direct costs of capital raising influence these first-day returns. The study also finds that infrastructure entity IPOs that seek to raise more equity capital leave less money on the table for subscribing investors.<br /

The Importance of Audit Committees in Initial Public Offerings

This paper follows Balvers, McDonald and Miller (1988) and Beatty (1989), who find lower underpricing in initial public offerings (IPOs) when prestigious auditors are used to attest to the IPO's financial statements. Australian IPOs are not obliged to nominate audit firms in the prospectus but often identify that they will have audit committees so as to assist in more appropriate corporate governance. This paper analyses if IPOs identifying the existence of audit committees in the prospectus have a lower underpricing return. While our findings are consistent with previous studies concluding that both the size of the new issue and the use of an underwriter are important ingredients in the level of underpricing return, the inclusion of an audit committee in the prospectuses has actually increased underpricing returns. The capital market may view the audit committee identification with some skepticism.

Boundary values of holomorphic functions and heat kernel method in translation-invariant distribution spaces

We study boundary values of holomorphic functions in translation-invariant distribution spaces of type $\mathcal{D}'_{E'_{\ast}}$. New edge of the wedge theorems are obtained. The results are then applied to represent $\mathcal{D}'_{E'_{\ast}}$ as a quotient space of holomorphic functions. We also give representations of elements of $\mathcal{D}'_{E'_{\ast}}$ via the heat kernel method. Our results cover as particular instances the cases of boundary values, analytic representations, and heat kernel representations in the context of the Schwartz spaces $\mathcal{D}'_{L^{p}}$, $\mathcal{B}'$, and their weighted versions.Comment: 21 pages; with minor correction

Nonlocal Operational Calculi for Dunkl Operators

The one-dimensional Dunkl operator $D_k$ with a non-negative parameter $k$, is considered under an arbitrary nonlocal boundary value condition. The right inverse operator of $D_k$, satisfying this condition is studied. An operational calculus of Mikusinski type is developed. In the frames of this operational calculi an extension of the Heaviside algorithm for solution of nonlocal Cauchy boundary value problems for Dunkl functional-differential equations $P(D_k)u=f$ with a given polynomial $P$ is proposed. The solution of these equations in mean-periodic functions reduces to such problems. Necessary and sufficient condition for existence of unique solution in mean-periodic functions is found

On a class of translation-invariant spaces of quasianalytic ultradistributions

A class of translation-invariant Banach spaces of quasianalytic ultradistributions is introduced and studied. They are Banach modules over a Beurling algebra. Based on this class of Banach spaces, we define corresponding test function spaces $\mathcal{D}^*_E$ and their strong duals $\mathcal{D}'^*_{E'_{\ast}}$ of quasianalytic type, and study convolution and multiplicative products on $\mathcal{D}'^*_{E'_{\ast}}$. These new spaces generalize previous works about translation-invariant spaces of tempered (non-quasianalytic ultra-) distributions; in particular, our new considerations apply to the settings of Fourier hyperfunctions and ultrahyperfunctions. New weighted $\mathcal{D}'^{\ast}_{L^{p}_{\eta}}$ spaces of quasianalytic ultradistributions are analyzed.Comment: 32 page

Variability Abstractions: Trading Precision for Speed in Family-Based Analyses (Extended Version)

Family-based (lifted) data-flow analysis for Software Product Lines (SPLs) is capable of analyzing all valid products (variants) without generating any of them explicitly. It takes as input only the common code base, which encodes all variants of a SPL, and produces analysis results corresponding to all variants. However, the computational cost of the lifted analysis still depends inherently on the number of variants (which is exponential in the number of features, in the worst case). For a large number of features, the lifted analysis may be too costly or even infeasible. In this paper, we introduce variability abstractions defined as Galois connections and use abstract interpretation as a formal method for the calculational-based derivation of approximate (abstracted) lifted analyses of SPL programs, which are sound by construction. Moreover, given an abstraction we define a syntactic transformation that translates any SPL program into an abstracted version of it, such that the analysis of the abstracted SPL coincides with the corresponding abstracted analysis of the original SPL. We implement the transformation in a tool, reconfigurator that works on Object-Oriented Java program families, and evaluate the practicality of this approach on three Java SPL benchmarks.Comment: 50 pages, 10 figure