DIKU Bits: It's Provably Impossible - But We Code It Anyway

Picture of event with Ken Friis Larsen

On 1 March the Programming Language & Theory of Computation (PLTC) section at Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen, will give a DIKU Bits lecture. 

Speaker

Ken Friis Larsen, Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Computer Science in the Programming Language & Theory of Computation (PLTC) Section.

Title

It's Provably Impossible -- But We Code It Anyway

Abstract

Alan Turing proved in 1936 that a general algorithm to solve the halting
problem cannot exist. That is, it is impossible to implement a decision
procedure that can determine whether a given program, Prog, will finish
running or continue to run forever.
Nevertheless, the Linux kernel allow lightweight user-defined programs
written in eBPF bytecode to be dynamically loaded into the
kernel and run in kernel space. When the bytecode is loaded into the
kernel, the kernel checks that the eBPF program will always terminate.
In this talk I will explain why programming language theory and
technology are vital tools for security.

Bio

Which courses do you teach? I teach Programmering og problemløsning (PoP) BSc, Advanced Programming
(AP) MSc, Software Security (SoS) MSc, and Proactive Computer Security
(PCS) MSc.


Which technology/research/projects/startup are you excited to see the evolution of? eBPF in the Linux kernel.


What is your favorite sketch from the DIKUrevy?  DIKUrevy 2014: KEN", mainly for the high quality acting. With
honourable mentions to the whole topDatamat series and "DIKUrevy 2015: Ph.D.-livet"