US-Turkey Cooperative Research: Realistic Applications of Action Languages for Workflow Management

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

0004433 LIfschitz Description: This award is for support of a cooperative project by Professor Vladimir Lifschitz, Department of Computer Science, the University of Texas, Austin, Texas, Drs. Ferda Nur Alpaslan and Ismail Hakki Totoslu, Computer Engineering Department, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, and Dr. Varol Akman, Department of Computer Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara Turkey. These scientists plan to study the application of artificial intelligence to workflow management. Action languages are formal models of parts of natural language that are used for talking about the effects of actions. The Causal Calculator is a software system that allows the user to automate planning and reasoning about actions in domains described in an expressive action language called C. The scientists plan to develop a translation tool that will translate from a workflow specification language into Action Language, C. This will allow permit the automation of the process of workflow management. They will also design a tool for the graphical representation of C programs that will help the users to visualize the entire workflow. Scope: In this project the collaborators plan to combine their expertise in an important area of scientific research. The expertise of the US scientist and his team has been in the design, implementation and use of the Causal Calculator. The Turkish researchers have been working on workflow management and its relation to action languages. Two US graduate students from Dr. Lifschitz' department will participate in the project and will work in Turkey with their foreign counterparts, thus gaining an international research experience early in their careers. The project meets INT criteria for support of cooperative projects that are mutually beneficial, and which help give international experiences to young scientists and graduate students.