First-class implementations, a simple protocol for runtime metalevel programming

This month we will have Faré Rideau speaking about First-class Implementations.

Abstract:

We formalize a general notion of implementing an operational semantics with another, representing such operational semantics as arbitrary categories. We then propose a runtime protocol using first-class implementations to asynchronously control an efficiently implemented computing system from another, "meta" system.

The key of the protocol is then a generalized notion of PCLSRing, that allows to "decompile" a concrete program's running state. Many "advanced" techniques can then be seen as instances of decompiling and recompiling such running state: garbage collection, process migration, configuration change, process virtualization, etc.

In particular, virtualization becomes a general purpose user-level primitive in the programming language applicable to arbitrary computing systems, rather than a special purpose system-level primitive in the operating system or runtime platform just for one low-level virtual machine. Various transformations can then be expressed in their natural simplest context while efficiently applied to other programs in a larger context.

Bio:

Faré is a cybernetician specialized in software growth
infrastructure and currently living in NYC. He is known as a Common Lisper (http://cliki.net/Fare%20Rideau) for promoting Lisp as a scripting language (https://github.com/fare/asdf3-2013/blob/master/scripting-slides.rkt), and having developed the build system ASDF 3 (https://github.com/fare/asdf3-2013/) and the Lisp Interface Library (https://github.com/fare/lil-ilc2012) combining ad hoc and parametric polymorphism. He recently left Google where he was working on the extension language of the build system Bazel (http://bazel.io/).

He likes to think in terms of computing interactions and programming processes rather than computer devices and software artifacts; he once led the TUNES Project to reinvent computing (http://tunes.org/) and recently started a new blog on this topic, Houyhnhnm Computing (https://ngnghm.github.io/). He relatedly believes in the power of storytelling (http://fare.tunes.org/computing/bal2009.pdf)and of evolutionism (http://fare.tunes.org/computing/evolutionism.html).

His other interests span music, fine arts, psycho-history,
epistemology, and more. He also spoke or was published at several libertarian (http://fare.tunes.org/liberty/) venues. He tweets about computing as @ngnghm (http://twitter.com/ngnghm) and on other topics as @fare (http://twitter.com/fare). You also find him on LiveJournal (http://fare.livejournal.com/) or Facebook (https://facebook.com/fahree). Finally he maintains
a collection of quips (http://fare.tunes.org/fortunes/fare).

Logistics:

If you can, please plan on arriving between 6:45pm and 7pm, but there will be someone in the lobby to greet stragglers.

Food:

Pizzas, salad and soda.

Afterwards:

If you'd like to stick around, a number of us tend to head down to the CBC (http://www.cambrew.com/) or another pub afterwards to socialize. If you would like to give a talk or if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to follow up here or email one of the organizers.