[Apologies for cross-posting]

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                    CALL FOR PAPERS
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The 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

https://www.qest-formats.org/

IMPORTANT DATES (UPDATED)

Abstract deadline: 10 April 2024 (Anytime on Earth)
Paper deadline: 15 April 2024 (Anytime on Earth)
Author notification: 31 May 2024
Camera ready submission: 17 June 2024
Conference: 9-13 September 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, which will be held on 9-13 September 2024 in Calgary, Canada, as
part of the CONFEST 2024 umbrella conference.

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.

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.

The joint conference will have two tracks associated with QEST and
FORMATS. The authors are required to select one of these tracks when
submitting their papers. This is only used to facilitate the review
process.

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 selected for the QEST
Award and the FORMATS Oded Maler Award.

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 will be
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.

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 the Performance Evaluation (PEVA) journals.

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
Tobias Meggendorfer, Lancaster University Leipzig, Germany
Andrea Vandin, Sant'Anna School for Advanced Studies, Italy

For any questions, feel free to contact the program chairs Jane Hillston
([log in to unmask]) and Sadegh Soudjani ([log in to unmask]).

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