iwm@icdoc.UUCP (10/15/85)
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Functional Programming and Architecture Research at Imperial College
The Alvey Directorate has approved a major programme of work in functional
languages and parallel architectures to be undertaken in the Department of
Computing at Imperial College. The programme comprises a set of interrelated
projects involving collaboration with ICL, Plessey, GEC, British Telecom and
Imperial Software Technology covering all aspects of functional languages and
related architectures. Research areas involved include user interfaces,
program transformation programming environments, language design,
implementation, graph reduction, performance modelling and parallel machine
design.
Applications are invited for the following posts.
Project Director (Salary Scale #11205 - 14925) + 1233 London Weighting
Research Assistants 1A, 1B ( " #7520 - 12150) "
Electronic Technician ( " #7548 - 9015) + 1250 London Weighting
Application for the research posts are invited from suitably qualified
candidates with a background in mathematics, computing or electronics.
Experience in the relevant research areas will, of course, be an advantage
but is not considered essential, preference will be given to candidates who
can demonstrate proven research potential and/or implementation skills.
Courses, including an Advanced MSc. in the relevant areas, are available for
successful candidates.
The functional programming section at Imperial College headed by Professor
John Darlington, contains many leading workers in functional languages and
parallel architectures whose work has given rise to the present projects.
The environment for this work at Imperial College is particularly stimulating
with good relationships established with groups in Logic Programming, Theory
and Software Technology. The projects will be well served with computing
machinery including personal computers, VAX, ORION, ICL Series 39 model 30
and a prototype ALICE Parallel Graph Reduction Machine.
Funds are available for appointment immediately or at any time during the
next four years. Applications including a full c.v., names and addresses of
at least two referees and description of research interests should be sent
immediately to
Miss Sandra Evans,
Administrative Assistant,
Functional Programming and Architecture Section,
Department of Computing,
Imperial College, 180 Queen's Gate,
London, SW7 2BZ.
from whom further information can be obtained.
Project: FLAGSHIP
Sponsor: Alvey
Collaborators: Manchester University (Ian Watson), ICL, Plessey.
I.C. Principal Investigators: Professor John Darlington, Mike Reeve.
Project Description: Flagship's goal is the development of integrated,
commercially exploitable, declarative language systems by the end of the decade.
Building on Imperial College's ALICE and Manchester University's Data Flow work
projects it will continue this work on functional languages, program
transformation and parallel graph reduction architectures.
It is a large, ambitious and exciting project combining fundamental
research in all areas with the need, ultimately, to produce practical
solutions to real world problems. It is, in many ways, the UK's Fifth
Generation Project.
Posts available:
Project Director: (11205 - 14925) + 1233 London Allowance
The person appointed to this critical post will be responsible for the
day to day management of the project, reporting directly to the Principle
Investigators. He will be required plan and monitor Imperial College's
participation in Flagship and liaise with the other collaborators.
A proven aptitude for management should be coupled with some technical
understanding of the subject.
Research Assistants
4 1A scale (7520 - 12150) + 1233 London Allowance
2 1B scale (7520 - 8920) "
Areas of interest (not exclusive): Functional languages, logic programming,
program transformation, user interfaces, programming environments, system
architecture, language implementations, graph reduction, performance
modelling, machine architecture.
Direct experience in the above areas is not essential, although, of course,
desirable. Proven research ability or implementation skills and a background
in either Mathematics, Computing or Electronics being more critical. A post-
doctoral qualification is necessary for appointment on the 1A scale.
The activities of the Research Assistants will range from fundamental research
of a theoretical nature to experimental system development and language
implementations. One post is available to serve as Systems Programmer for
the group.
Technician
1 T6 scale (7548 - 9015) + 1250 London Allowance
The person appointed will be responsible for the maintenance
of the hardware associated with the project and the construction and
maintenance of experimental prototypes. A background in Hardware aspects
of Computing or Electronics is required.
Project: Speech Input Workstation
Sponsor: Alvey (Large Scale Demonstrator)
Collaborators: Edinburgh University, Loughborough University (HUSAT),
Plessey, ICI
I.C. Principle Investigators: Professor John Darlington and Martin Cripps
Project Description: The goal of this Large Scale Demonstrator Project is the
development of a work station/word processor with direct voice input capability.
Edinburgh University and Plessey will be responsible for the development of the
software and any specialised hardware necessary to provide the voice input
capability and Imperial College will provide the language support and
machine architecture work. The language chosen for the project is LISP.
Much of Imperial College's contribution will be provided via the associated
Flagship project as the target architecture is the parallel graph reduction
machine to be developed there. Imperial College's activity within the
Demonstrator will consist of the development of a LISP compiler targeted to
the parallel machine, liaison with Edinburgh to ensure their application is
developed in such a way as to maximise the benefit gained by parallel
execution and assistance in interfacing any specialised hardware.
Posts available:
Project Director: (11205 - 14925) + 1233 London Allowance
The person appointed will be responsible for the co-ordination of Imperial
College's contribution to the Demonstrator and liaison with the other
collaborators. Experience in the technical aspects of the project is
necessary coupled with some management experience.
Research Assistants:
2 1A scale (7520 - 12150) + 1233 London Allowance
The prime research areas will be in the LISP language and the development
of an intelligent compiler capable of extracting parallelism from programs
written in impure LISP. Interest in the associated research areas to be
investigated by Edinburgh and Plessey, Expert Systems, Phonetics, Speech
Input, Signal Processing, could be an advantage.
Project: Industrial Aspects of Functional Languages
Sponsor: Alvey (Software Engineering)
Collaborators: Imperial Software Technology, Jackson Associates
I.C. Principal Investigator: Professor John Darlington
Project Description: This project aims to test the utility of functional
languages for everyday work by attempting the development of a realistic
sized application and comparing the methodologies underlying program
development in functional languages with those used in a commercially
promoted design methodology.
The application chosen is an electronic circuit simulator and the design
methodology that is promoted by Jackson System Designers Ltd.
The bulk of the implementation and investigation is being undertaken by
Imperial Software Technology, the Imperial College representative would
liaise with them, assisting in their implementations and monitoring the
lessons learnt to assist the design of the next generation of functional
languages and program development systems.
Posts available:
Research Assistant
1B scale (7520 - 8920) + 1233 London Allowance
Skills needed: functional languages, applications development, Jackson
System Development Methodology.
Project: COBWEB
Collaborators: Kings College London (Dr. P. Osmon), Middlesex Polytechnic
(Dr. M. Shute), GEC Hirst Research Centre.
I. C. Principle Investigator: Dr. Chris Hankin
Project Description: The project will investigate the feasibility of a family
of highly concurrent combinator reduction machines that have been designed to
exploit the potential of Wafer Scale Integration Techniques. The machine
consists of a large number of simple reduction engines that communicate by
means of token passing. The feasibility study will demonstrate that real
parallelism can be achieved and investigate compatibility with the Flagship
project.
Post available:
Research Assistant
1 1A scale (7520 - 12150) + 1233 London Allowance
Areas of interest (not exclusive): Functional languages, advanced computer
technology, theoretical foundations.
A post-doctoral qualification is necessary for appointment to the 1A scale.
Direct experience in the research areas is not essential, proven research
or implementation ability in mathematics, computing or electronics being
preferred.
Project: Commercial Interface to Hope
Collaborators: British Telecom (Chris Condon)
I. C. Principle Investigator: Susan Eisenbach
Project Description: The project will design and implement a graphical
(probably dataflow) design tool, suitable for use in a data processing
environment, that automatically generates Hope.
Post available:
Research Assistant
1 1A or 1B scale (7520 - 12150) + 1233 London Allowance
Areas of interest (not exclusive): Functional languages, graphics,
design techniques.
--
Ian W Moor
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Department of Computing Whereat a great and far-off voice was heard, saying,
Imperial College. Poop-poop-poopy, and it was even so; and the days
180 Queensgate of Poopy Panda were long in the land.
London SW7 Uk.