Programming Language Techniques for Incremental and Reactive Computing (Dagstuhl Seminar 16402)

Abstract

Incremental computations are those that process input changes faster than naive computation that runs from scratch, and reactive computations consist of interactive behavior that varies over time. Due to the importance and prevalence of incremental, reactive systems, ad hoc variants of incremental and reactive computation are ubiquitous in modern software systems.

In response to this reality, the PL research community has worked for several decades to advance new languages for systems that interface with a dynamically-changing environment. In this space, researchers propose new general-purpose languages and algorithms to express and implement efficient, dynamic behavior, in the form of incremental and reactive language systems.

While these research lines continue to develop successfully, this work lacks a shared community that synthesizes a collective discussion about common motivations, alternative techniques, current results and future challenges. To overcome this lack of community, this seminar will work towards building one, by strengthening existing research connections and by forging new ones. Developing a shared culture is critical to the future advancement of incremental and reactive
computing in modern PL research, and in turn, this PL research is critical to developing the efficient, understandable interactive systems of the future.