International cooperation

Recognizing the importance of new methodology for software development we created the international movement of using Algebraic Methodology for the development of Software Technology, AMAST. AMAST was initiated in 1989 with its first meeting held in Iowa City, May 21-25. It was joined by many well-known professionals interested in using algebraic methodology for the development of software technology. We stress that the AMAST movement is much more than wishful thinking, it is a reality that can be measured by the increasing number of people joining it and by accomplishments that show that it does realize its major goal: the mapping of algebraic methodology into software technology. The major accomplishments of AMAST are:

• AMAST has held 3 international conferences and two international workshops. The amount and the quality of the papers submitted, as well as the increasing number of attendees, made us realize that we should initiate a yearly international conference and international workshops, starting in 1995.
• AMAST has so far published its results in three full issues of Theoretical Computer Science as well as three proceedings of the papers presented at its conferences.
• The AMAST Series in Computing has been created and has published three monographs [21][11][4] reporting essential results towards the development of a mathematical methodology for software technology.
• At each AMAST meeting we have organized demonstrations of real-life systems designed and implemented following the rules of the mathematical methodology we are developing. In addition, starting with our 1993 meeting we dedicate one day to the mathematical education of the software engineer. On this day we teach the methodology of applying mathematical results to the design and implementation of software systems.

Due to the rate of growth recently faced by the AMAST movement we feel that we need to enlarge USA involvement both with respect to its research themes and its geographical distribution. This implies carefully balancing the AMAST activity and a firm movement toward an international cooperation built around the USA - Europe enterprise generated by AMAST, which in many ways is unique. Therefore we feel that this should no longer evolve only as a grass-roots movement, but instead should be anchored in the general concern supported by Committee on Information and Communications R& (CIC) of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), whose objectives match the objectives of the AMAST.