Thesis/1-goals-and-outcomes/research_statement_v1.tex

% GOAL PARAGRAPH
This research develops autonomous control systems with mathematical guarantees of safe and correct behavior.

% INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH Hook
Extensively trained operators run nuclear reactors, following detailed written procedures and switching between control objectives based on plant conditions.
% Gap
Small modular reactors face a fundamental economic challenge: per-megawatt staffing costs significantly exceed those of conventional plants, threatening economic viability. Without constant supervision, autonomous control systems can manage complex operational sequences—but only if they provide assurance equal to or exceeding that of human-operated systems.

% APPROACH PARAGRAPH Solution
This research combines formal methods from computer science with control theory to build hybrid control systems correct by construction. 
% Rationale
Operators already work this way: discrete logic switches between continuous control modes. Existing formal methods generate provably correct switching logic but fail when continuous dynamics govern transitions. Control theory verifies continuous behavior but cannot prove discrete switching correctness. End-to-end correctness guarantees require both approaches together.
% Hypothesis and Technical Approach
Three stages bridge this gap. First, written operating procedures translate into temporal logic specifications using NASA's Formal Requirements Elicitation Tool (FRET), which structures requirements into scope, condition, component, timing, and response. Conflicts and ambiguities emerge through realizability checking before implementation begins. Second, reactive synthesis generates deterministic automata—provably correct by construction. Third, standard control theory designs continuous controllers for each discrete mode; reachability analysis then verifies each controller. Transition objectives classify continuous modes: transitory modes drive the plant between conditions, stabilizing modes maintain operation within regions, and expulsory modes ensure safety under failures. Assume-guarantee contracts and barrier certificates prove safe mode transitions, enabling local verification without global trajectory analysis. The methodology demonstrates on an Emerson Ovation control system. 
% Pay-off
This autonomous control approach manages complex nuclear power operations while maintaining safety guarantees, directly addressing the economic constraints that threaten small modular reactor viability.

% OUTCOMES PARAGRAPHS
This research, if successful, produces three concrete outcomes:
\begin{enumerate}
  % OUTCOME 1 Title
  \item \textit{Synthesize written procedures into verified control logic.} 
    % Strategy
    A methodology converts written operating procedures into formal specifications.
    Reactive synthesis tools then generate discrete control logic from these specifications.
    % Outcome
    Control engineers generate mode-switching controllers from regulatory
    procedures with minimal formal methods expertise, reducing barriers to
    high-assurance control systems.

    % OUTCOME 2 Title
  \item \textit{Verify continuous control behavior across mode transitions.}
    % Strategy
    Reachability analysis verifies that continuous control modes satisfy discrete
    transition requirements. 
    % Outcome
    Engineers design continuous controllers using standard practices while
    maintaining formal correctness guarantees. Mode transitions occur safely and at
    the correct times—provably.

    % OUTCOME 3  Title
  \item \textit{Demonstrate autonomous reactor startup control with safety
    guarantees.}
    % Strategy
    This methodology demonstrates on a small modular reactor simulation using industry-standard control hardware.
    % Outcome
    Control engineers implement high-assurance autonomous controls on
    industrial platforms they already use, enabling autonomy without retraining
    costs or new equipment development.

\end{enumerate}