The Space and Motion of Communicating Agents

I am delighted to announce that Robin Milner is returning to the University of Edinburgh, part-time. He will be a SICSA Advanced Research Fellow and will hold the Chair of Computer Science.

Robin Milner graduated from Cambridge in 1958. After short posts he joined the University of Edinburgh in 1973, where he co-founded the Laboratory for Foundation of Computer Science in 1986. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1988, and in 1991 won the ACM's A.M. Turing Award. He joined Cambridge University in 1995, headed the Computer Laboratory there for four years, and retired in 2001. His research achievements (often joint) include: the system LCF, a model for many later systems for interactive reasoning; Standard ML, an industry-scale but rigorously based programming language; the Calculus of Communicating Systems (CCS); the Pi Calculus.

Currently he works on Bigraphs, a topographical model which aims to provide a theoretical foundation for mobile interactive systems. Cambridge University Press has just published The Space and Motion of Communicating Agents, Robin's book on this area.

Robin will be giving a short course on bigraphs in Edinburgh on May 13th and 14th 2009. So that we can keep track of numbers, please sign up for the course at http://milner-bigraphs.eventbrite.com (password is milner).

Milner Lecture 2007: Ron Fagin

28th June 2007

The 2007 Milner Lecture will be given at 16.00 on 28th June by Ron Fagin of IBM Almaden.

Edinburgh Computer History

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Celebrating Computing at Edinburgh

From 27-29th June, we will be welcoming the Edinburgh Computer History Project, a group of former staff, students and associates, Edinburgh pioneers from the early days of computing, back to Edinburgh for a reunion.

Following on from our graduation ceremony and celebrations on June 26th, a series of events, incorporating our annual Informatics Jamboree and Milner Lecture, will take place from June 27 - 29.

Wednesday, 27 June 2007, Appleton Tower

• All day - Registration, and meet up with old friends in Appleton Tower
• Look in various archives to find your old files
• Bring old source listings and docs - we'll scan them
• Tours of current Informatics facilities - TBC

Thursday, 28 June 2007, Appleton Tower

• Informatics Jamboree, talks and poster exhibition
• Talk by Emeritus Professor Donald Michie
• The Milner Lecture, delivered by Prof. Ron Fagin, and Reception
• Reunion Dinner, sponsored by Microsoft

Friday, 29 June 2007, Appleton Tower

• Edinburgh Computer History Conference & Alumni reunion
• Lunch
• Edinburgh Computer History Project AGM and distribution of DVD copies of archive
• Preview tours of the new Informatics Forum (opening April 2008) - TBC
• Ceilidh featuring “Freeland Barbour and The Occasionals”

All those with an interest, and particularly those who have contributed to the history of computing at Edinburgh, are warmly invited to attend — there is a registration fee of £12.50. Please register online.

Update Sunday 17th June The reunion dinner on the 28th is now full to capacity. All other events are still open and you can still register (then if we have any cancellations for dinner, we can allocate those places to the people who register first).

Visit the Edinburgh Computer History Project forum for more information on the project.

Those planning to attend should download an information pack. If you have any further questions about the reunion please contact our Alumni Relations Officer.

Those attending may also be interested in the Enlightenment Lecture, Is science showing that we don't have free will? to be delivered by by Daniel Dennett at 6pm on 27th June. Tickets for this should be reserved online.