This book highlights recent advances in natural computing, including biology and its theory, bio-inspired computing, computational aesthetics, computational models and theories, computing with natural media, philosophy of natural computing and educational technology. It presents extended versions of the best papers selected from the symposium "7th International Workshop on Natural Computing" (IWNC7), held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2013. The target audience is not limited to researchers working in natural computing but also those active in biological engineering, fine/media art design, aesthetics and philosophy.

This book highlights recent advances in natural computing, including biology and its theory, bio-inspired computing, computational aesthetics, computational models and theories, computing with natural media, philosophy of natural computing and educational technology. It presents extended versions of the best papers selected from the symposium "7th International Workshop on Natural Computing" (IWNC7), held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2013. The target audience is not limited to researchers working in natural computing but also those active in biological engineering, fine/media art design, aesthetics and philosophy.

Most natural and artificial systems transform information in a predictable or programmable way; such transformation can be interpreted as harnessing nature for computing. Recently we have witnessed a burst of research in unconventional computing, resulting in the development of experimental prototypes of natural computers, plasmodium computers, reaction-diffusion processors, and DNA computers as well as theoretical paradigms of natural computation such as cellular automata, artificial chemistry, evolutionary computing, and neural networks. The International Workshop on Natural Computing (IWNC) brings together computer scientists, biologists, mathematicians, electronic engineers, physicists, and others to critically assess present findings in the field, and to outline future developments in nature-inspired computing. This compilation of papers presented at the most recent workshop, held in Nagoya, Japan, makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of natural computing.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Functional and Logic Programming, FLOPS 2006, held in Fuji-Susono, Japan, in April 2006. The 17 revised full papers presented together with 2 invited contributions were carefully reviewed and selected from 51 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on data types, FP extensions, type theory, LP extensions, analysis, contracts, as well as Web and GUI.

In 1996 the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) establ- hed its rst Technical Committee on foundations of computer science, TC1. The aim of IFIP TC1 is to support the development of theoretical computer science as a fundamental science and to promote the exploration of fundamental c- cepts, models, theories, and formal systems in order to understand laws, limits, and possibilities of information processing. This volume constitutes the proceedings of the rst IFIP International C- ference on Theoretical Computer Science (IFIP TCS 2000) { Exploring New Frontiers of Theoretical Informatics { organized by IFIP TC1, held at Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan in August 2000. The IFIP TCS 2000 technical program consists of invited talks, contributed talks, and a panel discussion. In conjunction with this program there are two special open lectures by Professors Jan van Leeuwen and Peter D. Mosses. The decision to hold this conference was made by IFIP TC1 in August 1998, and since then IFIP TCS 2000 has bene ted from the e orts of many people; in particular, the TC1 members and the members of the Steering Committee, the Program Committee, and the Organizing Committee of the conference. Our special thanks go to the Program Committee Co-chairs: Track (1): Jan van Leeuwen (U. Utrecht), Osamu Watanabe (Tokyo Inst. Tech.) Track (2): Masami Hagiya (U. Tokyo), Peter D. Mosses (U. Aarhus).

This volume contains the proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science, held at Tohoku University, Japan in April 1994. This top-level international symposium on theoretical computer science is devoted to theoretical aspects of programming, programming languages and system, and parallel and distributed computation. The papers in the volume are grouped into sessions on: lambda calculus and programming; automated deduction; functional programming; objects and assignments; concurrency; term rewriting and process equivalence; type theory and programming; algebra, categories and linear logic; and subtyping, intersection and union types. The volume also includes seven invited talks and two open lectures.

This volume contains 15 papers from research areas where Japanese theoretical computer science is particularly strong. Many are about logic, and its realization and applications to computer science; others concern synthesis, transformation and implementation of programming languages, and complexity and coding theory. Not coincidentally, all the authors are either former students or close colleagues of Satoru Takasu, professor and director at the Research Institute of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Kyoto. The purpose of this volume is to celebrate Professor Takasu's influence on theoretical computer science in Japan and worldwide by his research, his philosophy, and his advising of students. The breadth, depth and quality of the papers are characteristic of his interests and activities.