Scientific Keynote: Maria Christakis

Keynote: “Systematic Testing for Complex Systems in the Absence of Oracles”

Many modern software systems operate in domains where precise specifications are unavailable and reliable test oracles are difficult or impossible to obtain. This is particularly true for systems such as program analyzers, cryptographic proof systems, and machine-learning models, whose correctness depends on complex semantics or learned behavior.

This keynote explores how metamorphic testing enables systematic testing in the absence of traditional oracles by checking necessary relations across multiple executions rather than individual outputs. Drawing on experience from testing program analyzers, zero-knowledge proof systems, and machine-learning models, the talk highlights the effectiveness of metamorphic testing across diverse settings. Beyond individual techniques and tools, the keynote distills general lessons on how to reason about correctness when specifications are incomplete, relational, or implicit, and how rigorous testing remains possible even when classical notions of correctness are difficult to apply.

Program

•  Scientific Program, Wednesday, 09:00 – 10:00 (see  Program)

Bio

 Maria Christakis is a full professor at TU Wien, where she leads the Software Engineering research unit. Her work focuses on developing innovative techniques and tools for writing, specifying, verifying, analyzing, testing, and debugging software. Her goal is to make programs more robust while enhancing the developer experience.

Before joining TU Wien in 2022, Maria conducted research at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems (Germany), the University of Kent (UK), Microsoft Research (USA), and ETH Zurich (Switzerland). Since then, she was awarded an ERC Starting grant, WWTF and FWF grants, a Google Research Scholar award, an Amazon Research award, and she was elected member of the Young Academy of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.