Automata and programs over infinite alphabets

While automata theory has traditionally been based on the model of an abstract machine operating on a finite alphabet of input symbols, this assumption can be unsatisfactory for a range applications where value domains cannot be reasonably bounded: from XML model-checking, to process modelling and the verification of name-generating code. This has recently lead to a surge of interest in automata over infinite alphabets, thus opening up a world of open problems and new results. The talk will look into these exciting developments with a specific focus on latest work driven by applications in modelling and verifying name-generating programs.