Matthew Hennessy
Encyclopedia
Matthew Hennessy is an Irish computer scientist
who has contributed especially to concurrency (computer science)
, process calculi and programming language semantics
.
Hennessy was Professor of Computer Science
at the Department of Informatics, University of Sussex
, England
, until 2008.
Since then, Hennessy has held a professorship at the Department of Computer Science
, Trinity College, Dublin
.
Hennessy's research interests are in the area of the semantic foundations of programming
and specification language
s, particularly involving distributed computing
, including mobile computing
. He also has an interest in verification
tools.
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
who has contributed especially to concurrency (computer science)
Concurrency (computer science)
In computer science, concurrency is a property of systems in which several computations are executing simultaneously, and potentially interacting with each other...
, process calculi and programming language semantics
Semantics
Semantics is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotata....
.
Hennessy was Professor of Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
at the Department of Informatics, University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, until 2008.
Since then, Hennessy has held a professorship at the Department of Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
.
Hennessy's research interests are in the area of the semantic foundations of programming
Programming language
A programming language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely....
and specification language
Specification language
A specification language is a formal language used in computer science.Unlike most programming languages, which are directly executable formal languages used to implement a system, specification languages are used during systems analysis, requirements analysis and systems design.Specification...
s, particularly involving distributed computing
Distributed computing
Distributed computing is a field of computer science that studies distributed systems. A distributed system consists of multiple autonomous computers that communicate through a computer network. The computers interact with each other in order to achieve a common goal...
, including mobile computing
Mobile computing
Mobile computing is a form of human–computer interaction by which a computer is expected to be transported during normal usage. Mobile computing has three aspects: mobile communication, mobile hardware, and mobile software...
. He also has an interest in verification
Verification
The word verification may refer to:* Verification and validation, in engineering or quality management systems, it is the act of reviewing, inspecting or testing, in order to establish and document that a product, service or system meets regulatory or technical standards.* Verification , in the...
tools.
Books
Matthew Hennessy has written a number of books:- Hennessy, Matthew. A Distributed Pi-Calculus. Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, Cambridge, UK, 2007. ISBN 0-521-87330-4. - Hennessy, Matthew. Algebraic Theory of Processes. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1988. ISBN 0-262-58093-4.
- Hennessy, Matthew. The Semantics of Programming Languages: An Elementary Introduction using Structural Operational Semantics. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1990. ISBN 0-471-92772-4.