Enrico Vicario, head of the Software and Systems Engineering Laboratory (STLab), has won the best paper award at the 20th International Conference on Quantitative Evaluation of SysTems (QEST 2023) , held in Antwerp, Belgium from September 20 to 22, 2023. The QEST conference is the leading forum on quantitative evaluation and verification of computer systems and networks.
The paper, titled Equilibrium Analysis of Markov Regenerative Processes, was co-authored jointly with András Horváth, and Marco Paolieri. The paper presents a novel solution to compute equilibrium probability density functions (PDFs) for the continuous component of the state in Markov regenerative processes, a class of non-Markovian processes. Equilibrium PDFs are derived as closed-form analytical expressions by applying the Key Renewal Theorem to stochastic state classes computed between regenerations. The solution, evaluated experimentally through the development of an analysis tool, provides the basis to analyze system properties from the equilibrium.
The paper was selected as the best paper among 23 submissions, based on the reviews of the program committee and the feedback of the conference attendees. The award was presented to Enrico Vicario by the conference program co-chairs, Nils Jansen and Mirco Tribastone, during the closing ceremony of the conference.