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Curriculum vitæ
Christian Ferdinand, born in 1965, completed the diploma degree program in computer science and electrical engineering at the Saarland University from 1985 to 1990.
Between 1991 to 1998, he was a research associate at the Department for Compiler Construction and Programming Languages at the Saarland University. At this time, he also participated in the ESPRIT projects PROSPECTRA (Programming by Specification and Transformation) and COMPARE (Compiler Generation for Parallel Machines). He was also a member of the Collaborative Research Center no. 124 for VLSI and Parallelism.
In 1997, he completed his doctorate, summa cum laude, his dissertation being entitled “Cache Behavior Prediction for Real-Time Systems”. In recognition of his work, he was awarded the Dr. Eduard Martin Prize in 1999 for the best Ph.D. thesis in computer science at the Saarland University.
Throughout his studies, Christian Ferdinand has always kept an eye on practical applications. He received an undergraduate student scholarship and a Ph.D. student scholarship from Siemens AG. Since February 1998, he is the CEO of AbsInt, of which he is one of the co-founders. His current work is focused on code generation for digital signal processors and on timing analysis for real-time systems.
Research interests
- Compiler construction
- Parallel machines
- Functional languages
- Program semantics
- Pattern matching
- Cache analysis
- Worst-case execution time prediction
- Software visualization
Selected publications
- Multi-Core WCET Analysis Using Non-Intrusive Continuous Observation. D. Kästner, G. Gebhard, M. Pister, S. Wegener, C. Ferdinand, A. Schulz, M. Sachenbacher, M. Leucker, A. Weiss. In ERTS 2024: Embedded Real Time Software and Systems, 12th European Congress, Toulouse, June 2024.
- Satisfying Timing Requirements for Safety-Critical Real-Time Software. D. Kästner, C. Hümbert, G. Gebhard, M. Pister, S. Wegener, C. Ferdinand. Embedded World Congress 2024, Nuremberg.
- Automatic Sound Static Analysis for Integration Verification of AUTOSAR Software. D. Kästner, C. Mallon, L. Mauborgne, S. Schank, S. Wilhelm, C. Ferdinand. SAE Technical Paper 2023-01-0591, SAE World Congress 2023, Detroit, April 2023.
- Static Data and Control Coupling Analysis. D. Kästner, L. Mauborgne, S. Wilhelm, C. Mallon, C. Ferdinand. In ERTS 2022: Embedded Real Time Software and Systems, 11th European Congress, June 2022, Toulouse, France.
- Obtaining DO-178C Certification Credits by Static Program Analysis. D. Kästner, M. Pister, C. Ferdinand. In ERTS 2022: Embedded Real Time Software and Systems, 11th European Congress, June 2022, Toulouse, France.
- Taming Timing — Combining Static Analysis with Non-Intrusive Tracing to Compute WCET Bounds on Multicore Processors. D. Kästner, C. Hümbert, G. Gebhard, M. Pister, S. Wegener, C. Ferdinand. Embedded World Congress 2021, Virtual Conference.
- High-Precision Sound Analysis to Find Safety and Cybersecurity Defects (Best Paper Award). D. Kästner, L. Mauborgne, S. Wilhelm, C. Ferdinand. In ERTS 2020: Embedded Real Time Software and Systems, 10th European Congress, January 2020, Toulouse, France.
- Detecting Spectre Vulnerabilities by Sound Static Analysis. D. Kästner, L. Mauborgne, C. Ferdinand, H. Theiling. In CYBER 2019: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Cyber-Technologies and Cyber-Systems, Porto, 2019.
- Analyze this! Sound static analysis for integration verification of large-scale automotive software. D. Kästner, B. Schmidt, M. Schlund, L. Mauborgne et al. SAE Technical Paper 2019-01-1246, 2019.
- CompCert: Practical Experience on Integrating and Qualifying a Formally Verified Optimizing Compiler. D. Kästner, J. Barrho, U. Wünsche, M. Schlickling, B. Schommer, M. Schmidt, C. Ferdinand, X. Leroy, S. Blazy. In ERTS 2018: Embedded Real Time Software and Systems, 9th European Congress, January 2018, Toulouse, France.
- Detecting Safety- and Security-Relevant Programming Defects by Sound Static Analysis (Best Paper Award). D. Kästner, L. Mauborgne, C. Ferdinand. In CYBER 2017: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Cyber-Technologies and Cyber-Systems, Barcelona, 2017. IARIA XPS Press, pp. 26–31, ISBN: 978-1-61208-605-7.
- Exploiting Synergies between Static Analysis and Model-Based Testing. S. Salvi, D. Kästner, T. Bienmüller, C. Ferdinand. Proceedings of the 11th European Dependable Computing Conference (EDCC’15). IEEE Computer Society Press, September 2015.
- Mastering Resource Usage by Continuous Static Profiling. D. Kästner, G. Gebhard, C. Hümbert, C. Cullmann, C. Ferdinand. Embedded World Congress 2015, Nuremberg.
- True Error or False Alarm? Refining Astrée’s Abstract Interpretation Results by EmbeddedTester’s Automatic Model-based Testing. S. Salvi, D. Kästner, T. Bienmüller, C. Ferdinand. Proceedings of the ERCIM/EWICS/ARTEMIS Workshop on Dependable Embedded and Cyber-physical Systems and Systems-of-Systems (DECSoS’14), Florence, 2014. Springer LNCS 8696.
- Reliability of WCET Analysis. Daniel Kästner, Markus Pister, Gernot Gebhard, Christian Ferdinand. Embedded Real Time Software and Systems Congress ERTS², Toulouse, 2014.
- Model-Driven Code Generation and Analysis. D. Kästner, C. Rustemeier, U. Kiffmeier, D. Fleischer, S. Nenova, R. Heckmann, M. Schlickling, C. Ferdinand. SAE World Congress 2014.
- Static Verification of Non-Functional Software Requirements in the ISO 26262. D. Kästner, C. Ferdinand. Automotive — Safety & Security 2012. Sicherheit und Zuverlässigkeit für automobile Informationstechnik. Internationale Tagung der Fachgruppen Ada, ENCRESS und EZQN der Gesellschaft für Informatik, Karlsruhe, November, 2012.
- Architecture Exploration and Timing Estimation during Early Design Phases. R. Heckmann, C. Ferdinand, D. Kästner, S. Nenova. International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer (STTT), SpringerLink OnlineFirst, 2012, DOI: 10.1007/s10009-012-0248-8.
- Meeting Real-Time Requirements with Multi-Core Processors. D. Kästner, M. Schlickling, M. Pister, C. Cullmann, G. Gebhard, R. Heckmann, C. Ferdinand. Safecomp 2012 Workshop: Next Generation of System Assurance Approaches for Safety-Critical Systems (SASSUR), Magdeburg, September 2012.
- Efficient Verification of Non-Functional Safety Properties by Abstract Interpretation: Timing, Stack Consumption, and Absence of Runtime Errors. D. Kästner, C. Ferdinand. Proceedings of the 29th International System Safety Conference ISSC2011, Las Vegas, 2011.
- 100% Coverage for Safety-Critical Software — Efficient Testing by Static Analysis. D. Kästner, R. Heckmann, C. Ferdinand. Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Computer Safety, Reliability and Security (SAFECOMP), Vienna, 2010.
- Astrée: Nachweis der Abwesenheit von Laufzeitfehlern. D. Kästner, C. Ferdinand, S. Wilhelm, S. Nenova, O. Honcharova, P. Cousot, R. Cousot, J. Feret, L. Mauborgne, A. Miné, X. Rival, E.-J. Sims. Proceedings of the GI workshop “Entwicklung zuverlässiger Software-Systeme”, Vol. 29 of Softwaretechnik-Trends, Regensburg, August 2009.
- D. Kästner, R. Wilhelm, R. Heckmann, M. Schlickling, M. Pister, M. Jersak, K. Richter, C. Ferdinand. Timing Validation of Automotive Software. 3rd International Symposium on Leveraging Applications of Formal Methods, Verification and Validation (ISOLA), Kassandra, Greece, 2008.
- Reinhold Heckmann, Christian Ferdinand. Verifying Safety-Critical Timing and Memory-Usage Properties of Embedded Software by Abstract Interpretation. DATE 2005, pages 618–619.
- Reinhold Heckmann, Christian Ferdinand. Verifying Safety-Critical Properties of Embedded Software by Abstract Interpretation. Sicherheit 2005, pages 125–128.
- Christian Ferdinand, Reinhold Heckmann. aiT: Worst-Case Execution Time Prediction by Static Program Analysis. IFIP Congress Topical Sessions 2004, pages 377–384.
- Christian Ferdinand. Worst Case Execution Time Prediction by Static Program Analysis. IPDPS 2004.
- Stephan Thesing, Jean Souyris, Reinhold Heckmann, Famantanantsoa Randimbivololona, Marc Langenbach, Reinhard Wilhelm, Christian Ferdinand. An Abstract Interpretation-Based Timing Validation of Hard Real-Time Avionics Software. DSN 2003.
- C. Ferdinand, D. Kästner, F. Martin, M. Langenbach, M. Sicks, S. Wilhelm, R. Heckmann, N. Fritz, S. Thesing, F. Fontaine, H. Theiling, M. Schmidt, A. Evstiougov-Babaev, R. Wilhelm. Validierung des Zeitverhaltens von kritischer Echtzeit-Software. Workshop: Automotive SW Engineering & Concepts. 33. Jahrestagung der GI, Frankfurt/M. Informatik 2003 – Innovative Informatikanwendungen, Band 1 (ISBN 3-88579-363-6), pages 335–339, Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI), 2003.
- Christian Ferdinand, Reinhold Heckmann, Henrik Theiling, Reinhard Wilhelm. Convenient User Annotations for a WCET Tool. WCET 2003, pages 17–20.
- Christian Ferdinand, Reinhold Heckmann, Marc Langenbach, Florian Martin, Michael Schmidt, Henrik Theiling, Stephan Thesing, Reinhard Wilhelm. Reliable and Precise WCET Determination for a Real-Life Processor. EMSOFT 2001, pages 469–485.
- Henrik Theiling, Christian Ferdinand, Reinhard Wilhelm. Fast and Precise WCET Prediction by Separated Cache and Path Analyses. Real-Time Systems 18(2/3), pages 157–179, 2000.
- Christian Ferdinand. Cache Behavior Prediction for Real-Time Systems. PhD thesis, Saarland University. ISBN 3-9307140-31-0, Pirrot, 1997.
- Christian Ferdinand. A Fast and Efficient Cache Persistence Analysis. Saarland University, Special Research Project 124, Technical Report 10/97, 1997.
- Christian Ferdinand, Reinhard Wilhelm. Run-Time Guarantees for Processors with Caches. Universität des Saarlandes, Sonderforschungsbereich 124, 1997.
- Christian Ferdinand, Florian Martin, Reinhard Wilhelm. Applying Compiler Techniques to Cache Behavior Prediction. Proceedings of the ACM SIGPLAN Workshop on Languages, Compilers and Tools for Real-Time System (LCTRTS) Las Vegas, Nevada, pages 37–46, 1997.
- Cache Behavior Prediction by Abstract Interpretation. Martin Alt, Christian Ferdinand, Florian Martin, Reinhard Wilhelm. SAS’96, Static Analysis Symposium, LNCS 1145, pages 52–66, Springer, 1996.
- Graph Visualisation in a Compiler Project. Martin Alt, Christian Ferdinand, Georg Sander. P. Eades, Z. Khang, eds., Software Visualisation, World Scientific, 1996.
- CLaX, A Visualized Compiler. Georg Sander, Martin Alt, Christian Ferdinand, Reinhard Wilhelm. F. J. Brandenburg, ed., Graph Drawing, Symposium on Graph Drawing GD’95, LNCS 1027, pages 459–462, Springer, 1996.
- Tree Automata for Code Selection. Christian Ferdinand, Helmut Seidl, Reinhard Wilhelm. Acta Informatica, volume 31, pages 741–760, Springer, 1994.
- The TrafoLa-H Subsystem. Martin Alt, Christian Fecht, Christian Ferdinand, Reinhard Wilhelm. B. Hoffmann, B. Krieg-Brückner, eds., Program Development by Specification and Transformation. LNCS 680, pages 539–576, Springer, 1993.
- Pattern Matching in a Functional Transformation Language Using Treeparsing. Christian Ferdinand. P. Deransart and J. Maluszynski, eds., Programming Language Implementation and Logic Programming PLDI’90, LNCS 456, pages 358–371, Springer, 1990.
- Pattern Matching in the Functional Transformation Language TRAFOLA. Christian Ferdinand. Master’s Thesis, Saarland University, 1990.