Com S 541 -- Programming Languages 1 January 19, 1993 HOMEWORK 0-O: How does programming language research relate to Operating Systems? Due: January 24, 1992 The faculty search committee of a prominent computer systems department is thinking of hiring a researcher who specializes in programming languages. Some of the faculty have said that such a person just wouldn't fit in, because everyone in the department currently specializes in operating systems. You have been hired to describe any connections between operating systems research and research in programming languages. Your task is to tell them: * What, if any, common problems exist between programming languages and operating systems. * What programming language ideas might be useful to research in operating systems. * What problems in programming languages might be amenable to attack by the results or techniques of researchers in operating systems, if any. * What tools or techniques someone who is educated in programming language design and semantics (for example students of a new faculty member in programming languages) would have that would be useful, even if not directly for research in operating systems. Concrete evidence would be useful. You can give personal anecdotes if you have them, but would be good to look for joint publications, conferences about operating systems and programming languages, programming languages that embody aspects of operating systems theory or practice directly, parts of operating systems that are like programming languages, theory in programming languages that overlaps, etc. This is a group project. Your group is to * prepare a written summary of your arguments, and * make a short (about 5-6 minute) oral presentation The style of oral presentation is up to you; you can have one person talk, or several. (If you need transparencies or copies made, let Gary know far enough in advance to have them made in time for the class.)