We summarize some features of the recently introduced surface–plasmon field‐enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS): a novel technique offering an increased sensitivity for monitoring interfacial binding reactions in biosensor formats. We briefly discuss the enhancement factors obtainable at resonant excitation of surface–plasmon modes propagating along a (noble) metal/dielectric interface and refer to the (Förster) energy transfer mechanisms operating for chromophores excited near metal surfaces. As a first example, we present data obtained during the binding of fluorophore‐doped latex particles to a functionalized interface. Then, experiments are described with surface‐attached oligonucleotide catcher probes and complementary target strands from solution, demonstrating the potential of SPFS for monitoring hybridization reactions.

HipSpec is a system for automatically deriving and proving properties about functional programs. It uses a novel approach, combining theory exploration, counterexample testing and inductive theorem proving. HipSpec automatically generates a set of equational theorems about the available recursive functions of a program. These equational properties make up an algebraic specification for the program and can in addition be used as a background theory for proving additional user-stated properties. Experimental results are encouraging: HipSpec compares favourably to other inductive theorem provers and theory exploration systems.

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We have developed a program for inductive theory formation, called IsaCoSy, which synthesises conjectures 'bottom-up' from the available constants and free variables. The synthesis process is made tractable by only generating irreducible terms, which are then filtered through counter-example checking and passed to the automatic inductive prover IsaPlanner. The main technical contribution is the presentation of a constraint mechanism for synthesis. As theorems are discovered, this generates additional constraints on the synthesis process.We evaluate IsaCoSy as a tool for automatically generating the background theories one would expect in a mature proof assistant, such as the Isabelle system. The results show that IsaCoSy produces most, and sometimes all, of the theorems in the Isabelle libraries. The number of additional un-interesting theorems are small enough to be easily pruned by hand.

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