Description

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Graphs are among the simplest and most universal models for a variety of s- tems, not just in computer science, but throughout engineering and the life sciences. When systems evolve we are interested in the way they change, to p- dict, support, or react to their evolution. Graph transformation combines the idea of graphs as a universal modelling paradigm with a rule-based approach to specify their evolution. The area is concerned with both the theory of graph transformation and their application to a variety of domains. The International Conferences on Graph Transformation aim at bringing - getherresearchersandpractitionersinterestedinthefoundationsandapplications of graph transformation. The 4th International Conference on Graph Transf- mation(ICGT2008)washeldinLeicester(UK)inthesecondweekofSeptember 2008, along with severalsatellite events. It continued the line of conferences p- viouslyheld in Barcelona(Spain) in 2002, Rome(Italy) 2004, and Natal(Brazil) in 2006 as well as a series of six International Workshops on Graph Transfor- tion with Applications in Computer Science between 1978 to 1998. Also, ICGT alternateswiththeworkshopseriesonApplicationofGraphTransformationwith Industrial Relevance (AGTIVE). The conference was held under the auspices of EATCS, EASST, andIFIP WG 1.3. Respondingtothecallforpapers,57papersweresubmitted.Thepaperswere reviewedthoroughlybyprogramcommitteemembersandtheirco-reviewers.The committee selected 27 papers for presentation at the conference and publication in the proceedings. These papers mirror well the wide-ranged ongoing research activities in the theory and application of graph transformation. They are c- cerned with di?erent kinds of graph transformation approaches, compositional systems, validation and veri?cation as well as various applications, mainly to model transformation and distributed systems. Paper submission and reviewing were supported by the free conference management system EasyChair.