QEST+FORMATS 2024: Call for Papers 

The first joint event for the International Conferences on Quantitative Evaluation of SysTems (QEST) and on Formal Modeling and Analysis of Timed Systems (FORMATS)

9-13 September 2024, Calgary, Canada, as part of the CONFEST 2024 umbrella conference

Abstract deadline: 10 April 2024

Paper deadline: 15 April 2024

Artifact deadline: 22 April 2024

Scope and Topics

The two flagship conferences of QEST (International Conference on Quantitative Evaluation of SysTems) and FORMATS (International Conference on Formal Modeling and Analysis of Timed Systems) are pursuing a strategic process of joining forces and sparking a new joint conference for quantitative modelling, analysis, and verification. This year, the two conferences form the QEST+FORMATS joint conference in 2024.

The joint conference is the leading forum for the quantitative evaluation and verification of systems, which aims to promote the study of fundamental and practical aspects of systems with quantitative nature (such as probability, timing, and cost), and brings together researchers from different disciplines that share interests in the modelling, design and analysis of computational systems. Systems of interest include biological and chemical systems; computer networks; cyber-physical systems; critical infrastructures; data-driven AI systems; energy systems; hardware and software systems; industrial systems; and mobility networks. The QEST+FORMATS joint conference also aims to attract researchers interested in real-time issues in hardware design, performance analysis, real-time software, scheduling, semantics and verification of timed, hybrid and probabilistic systems. The joint conference will be held on 9-13 September 2024 in Calgary, Canada, as part of the CONFEST 2024 umbrella conference. 

Topics and scientific areas of interest include:

• Models and metrics for the correctness, performance, reliability, safety, and security of systems (stochastic, probabilistic, and non-deterministic models including Markov chains, Markov decision processes, automata, Petri nets, process algebra, max-plus algebra, and their variations);
• Languages and methods for the specification of quantitative properties of systems;
• Techniques, algorithms, and data structures for analysis, evaluation, and verification of the models mentioned above, e.g., for model checking, testing, constraint solving, scheduling, optimization, and worst-case execution time analysis;
• Quantitative and probabilistic aspects of programming;
• Data-driven and machine-learning techniques for the analysis, prediction, and verification of quantitative properties of systems;
• Case studies that highlight the role of quantitative specification, modelling, and evaluation in the design and analysis of systems, with emphasis on emerging problems and technologies;
• Novel software tools to support the practical application of research results in all of the above areas;

The joint QEST+FORMATS conference is open to theoretical, experimental, and applicative research and will set up an artifact evaluation process. Papers may advance the state of the art on empirical approaches, simulation methods, analysis techniques, and applications to industrially relevant case studies.

This year, QEST+FORMATS will incorporate a special session on:

- Data-driven verification and synthesis of cyber-physical systems. We encourage the submission of papers on all data-driven approaches related to the formal analysis, verification, and synthesis of cyber-physical systems, including learning techniques for safety-critical systems and safe learning of such systems.

Submissions

QEST+FORMATS 2024 considers three types of papers (authors will be able to specify the type of contribution upon submission):

• Research papers: Theoretical, methodological, and application-based contributions that advance the understanding on a topic or issue, describe the development of new analysis processes  and techniques, or apply quantitative methods to relevant case studies.
• Tool papers: New tools and the formalisms they support. focusing on the software architecture and practical implementation and use. Tool papers must be accompanied by an artifact in the Artifact Evaluation.
• Work-in-progress papers: We offer an opportunity to present preliminary results and receive feedback from the community. Work-in-progress contributions are not required to be fully worked-out approaches, for example regarding validation or technical depth; however the presented ideas should be mature enough to appreciate soundness and how they advance our knowledge.

Research and tool papers can be regular or short:

        • Regular papers must not exceed 14 pages, excluding references.

        • Short papers should be limited to 7 pages, also excluding references.

All papers can have an appendix containing supporting material. Note that reviewers are not required to read the appendix to fully assess the merits of the paper. Work-in-progress papers must not exceed 4 pages including references. All papers must be submitted in Springer’s LNCS format. All submitted papers must be unpublished and not be submitted for publication elsewhere. Papers should be submitted electronically using EasyChair:

https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=qestformats2024

Springer encourages authors to include their ORCIDs in their papers. Authors should consult Springer's authors' guidelines and use Springer's LaTeX templates for the preparation of their papers. Submitted papers not complying with the above guidelines may be rejected without undergoing review.

The top two best papers of the conference will be awarded the Oded Maler Award in Timed Systems.

Publications

All accepted papers will be presented and discussed at the conference by one of the authors. The QEST+FORMATS 2024 proceedings will be published in the Springer LNCS series and indexed by ISI Web of Science, Scopus, ACM Digital Library, dblp, Google Scholar. All submitted papers will be evaluated by at least three reviewers on the basis of their originality, technical quality, scientific or practical contribution to the state of the art, methodology, clarity, and adequacy of references.

Artifact Evaluation

Reproducibility of experimental results is crucial to foster an atmosphere of trustworthy, open, and reusable research. To improve and reward reproducibility, QEST+FORMATS 2024 includes a dedicated Artifact Evaluation (AE). Submission of an artifact is mandatory for tool papers (both regular and short), and optional but encouraged for research papers where it can support the results presented in the paper. Artifacts will be reviewed concurrently with the paper review process, and accepted papers with a successfully evaluated artifact will receive a badge to be shown on the published paper's title page.

Detailed guidelines for preparation and submission of artifacts are available on the conference website. Exceptions to the submission guidelines may be granted by the PC chairs in cases where the tool cannot in any reasonable way be run by the AE committee.

There is a separate Easychair submission page for artifacts at 

https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=aeqestformats2024

Special Issues

A selection of the best papers (excluding work-in-progress papers) will be invited to submit an extended version of their work to special issues in the International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer (STTT) and in the Performance Evaluation (PEVA) journals. 

Important dates

Abstract deadline: 10 April 2024

Paper deadline: 15 April 2024

Artifact submission deadline: 22 April 2024

Author notification: 31 May 2024

Camera ready submission: 17 June 2024

Conference: 09-13 September 2024

Committees 

Program Chairs

Jane Hillston, Edinburgh University, UK

Sadegh Soudjani, Max Planck Institute, Germany

Track Chairs

Morteza Lahijanian, UC Boulder, USA (QEST)

Masaki Waga, Kyoto University, Japan (FORMATS)

Publicity Chairs

Jyotirmoy Deshmukh, University of Southern California, USA

Patrick Totzke, University of Liverpool, UK

Jie An,  National Institute of Informatics (NII) in Tokyo, Japan

Artifact Evaluation Chairs

Andrea Vandin, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Italy

Tobias Meggendorfer, Lancaster University Leipzig, Germany

​​For any questions, feel free to contact the program chairs Jane Hillston (Jane.Hillston@ed.ac.uk) and Sadegh Soudjani (sadegh@mpi-sws.org).