Nancy-Playground: A Console Calculator for Deterministic Network Calculus

Deterministic Network Calculus (DNC) provides a rigorous algebra for worst-case performance analysis of networks. It allows researchers to compute bounds on worst-case characteristics of systems through algebraic expressions that may appear simple on paper but often require heavy computations, making software support essential. Libraries such as Nancy offer a rich API for DNC computations in C#, but they require programming expertise. In contrast, RTaW’s min-plus playground (MPPG) provides a simpler, calculator-like syntax for DNC computations; however, it is proprietary and web-hosted, limiting offline use and reproducibility. We present nancy-playground, an open-source, locally runnable console that implements the same MPPG syntax while executing computations through the Nancy library. This tool enables reproducible scripting, interactive exploration, and a seamless transition to full programs by converting MPPG scripts into C# code. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of nancy-playground, as well as its main features for researchers and practitioners in the DNC community.