scholarly journals A Presheaf Semantics of Value-Passing Processes

1996 ◽  
Vol 3 (44) ◽  
Author(s):  
Glynn Winskel

This paper investigates presheaf models for process calculi with<br />value passing. Denotational semantics in presheaf models are shown<br />to correspond to operational semantics in that bisimulation obtained<br />from open maps is proved to coincide with bisimulation as defined<br />traditionally from the operational semantics. Both "early" and "late"<br />semantics are considered, though the more interesting "late" semantics<br />is emphasised. A presheaf model and denotational semantics is proposed<br />for a language allowing process passing, though there remains<br />the problem of relating the notion of bisimulation obtained from open<br />maps to a more traditional definition from the operational semantics.<br />A tentative beginning is made of a "domain theory" supporting<br />presheaf models.

2003 ◽  
Vol 10 (43) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikkel Nygaard ◽  
Glynn Winskel

A simple domain theory for concurrency is presented. Based on a categorical model of linear logic and associated comonads, it highlights the role of linearity in concurrent computation. Two choices of comonad yield two expressive metalanguages for higher-order processes, both arising from canonical constructions in the model. Their denotational semantics are fully abstract with respect to contextual equivalence. One language derives from an exponential of linear logic; it supports a straightforward operational semantics with simple proofs of soundness and adequacy. The other choice of comonad yields a model of affine-linear logic, and a process language with a tensor operation to be understood as a parallel composition of independent processes. The domain theory can be generalised to presheaf models, providing a more refined treatment of nondeterministic branching. The article concludes with a discussion of a broader programme of research, towards a fully fledged domain theory for concurrency.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
RASMUS E. MØGELBERG ◽  
MARCO PAVIOTTI

Just like any other branch of mathematics, denotational semantics of programming languages should be formalised in type theory, but adapting traditional domain theoretic semantics, as originally formulated in classical set theory to type theory has proven challenging. This paper is part of a project on formulating denotational semantics in type theories with guarded recursion. This should have the benefit of not only giving simpler semantics and proofs of properties such as adequacy, but also hopefully in the future to scale to languages with advanced features, such as general references, outside the reach of traditional domain theoretic techniques.Working inGuarded Dependent Type Theory(GDTT), we develop denotational semantics for Fixed Point Calculus (FPC), the simply typed lambda calculus extended with recursive types, modelling the recursive types of FPC using the guarded recursive types ofGDTT. We prove soundness and computational adequacy of the model inGDTTusing a logical relation between syntax and semantics constructed also using guarded recursive types. The denotational semantics is intensional in the sense that it counts the number of unfold-fold reductions needed to compute the value of a term, but we construct a relation relating the denotations of extensionally equal terms, i.e., pairs of terms that compute the same value in a different number of steps. Finally, we show how the denotational semantics of terms can be executed inside type theory and prove that executing the denotation of a boolean term computes the same value as the operational semantics of FPC.


1997 ◽  
Vol 4 (34) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gian Luca Cattani ◽  
Ian Stark ◽  
Glynn Winskel

<p>Recent work has shown that presheaf categories provide a general model of concurrency, with an inbuilt notion of bisimulation based on open maps. Here it is shown how this approach can also handle systems where the language of actions may change dynamically as a process evolves. The example is the pi-calculus, a calculus for `mobile processes' whose communication topology varies as channels are created and discarded. A denotational semantics is described for the pi-calculus within an indexed category of profunctors; the model is fully abstract for bisimilarity, in the sense that bisimulation in the model, obtained from open maps, coincides with the usual bisimulation obtained from the operational semantics of the pi-calculus. While attention is concentrated on the `late' semantics of the pi-calculus, it is indicated how the `early' and other variants can also be captured.</p><p> </p><p>A version of this paper appears in Category Theory and Computer Science: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference CTCS '97, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1290. Springer-Verlag, September 1997.</p>


1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 481-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIELE TURI ◽  
JAN RUTTEN

This paper, a revised version of Rutten and Turi (1993), is part of a programme aiming at formulating a mathematical theory of structural operational semantics to complement the established theory of domains and denotational semantics to form a coherent whole (Turi 1996; Turi and Plotkin 1997). The programme is based on a suitable interplay between the induction principle, which pervades modern mathematics, and a dual, non-standard ‘coinduction principle’, which underlies many of the recursive phenomena occurring in computer science.The aim of the present survey is to show that the elementary categorical notion of a final coalgebra is a suitable foundation for such a coinduction principle. The properties of coalgebraic coinduction are studied both at an abstract categorical level and in some specific categories used in semantics, namely categories of non-well-founded sets, partial orders and metric spaces.


1994 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Abadi

AbstractBaby Modula-3 is a small, functional, object-oriented programming language. It is intended as a vehicle for explaining the core of Modula-3 from a biased perspective: Baby Modula-3 includes the main features of Modula-3 related to objects, but not much else. To the theoretician, Baby Modula-3 provides a tractable, concrete example of an object-oriented language, and we use it to study the formal semantics of objects. Baby Modula-3 is defined with a structured operational semantics and with a set of static type rules. A denotational semantics guarantees the soundness of this definition.


1999 ◽  
Vol 6 (36) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gian Luca Cattani ◽  
Glynn Winskel

The aim of this paper is to harness the mathematical machinery around<br />presheaves for the purposes of process calculi. Joyal, Nielsen and Winskel<br />proposed a general definition of bisimulation from open maps. Here we show<br />that open-map bisimulations within a range of presheaf models are congruences<br /> for a general process language, in which CCS and related languages<br />are easily encoded. The results are then transferred to traditional models<br /> for processes. By first establishing the congruence results for presheaf<br />models, abstract, general proofs of congruence properties can be provided<br />and the awkwardness caused through traditional models not always possessing<br /> the cartesian liftings, used in the break-down of process operations,<br />are side-stepped. The abstract results are applied to show that hereditary<br />history-preserving bisimulation is a congruence for CCS-like languages to<br />which is added a refinement operator on event structures as proposed by<br />van Glabbeek and Goltz.


1999 ◽  
Vol 6 (28) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Troels Hildebrandt

We present a presheaf model for the observation of infinite as well<br />as finite computations. We apply it to give a denotational semantics of<br />SCCS with finite delay, in which the meanings of recursion are given by<br />final coalgebras and meanings of finite delay by initial algebras of the<br />process equations for delay. This can be viewed as a first step in representing<br />fairness in presheaf semantics. We give a concrete representation<br />of the presheaf model as a category of generalised synchronisation<br />trees and show that it is coreflective in a category of generalised transition<br />systems, which are a special case of the general transition systems<br />of Hennessy and Stirling. The open map bisimulation is shown to coincide<br />with the extended bisimulation of Hennessy and Stirling. Finally<br />we formulate Milners operational semantics of SCCS with finite delay<br />in terms of generalised transition systems and prove that the presheaf<br />semantics is fully abstract with respect to extended bisimulation.


2002 ◽  
Vol 9 (49) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikkel Nygaard ◽  
Glynn Winskel

A small but powerful language for higher-order nondeterministic processes is introduced. Its roots in a linear domain theory for concurrency are sketched though for the most part it lends itself to a more operational account. The language can be viewed as an extension of the lambda calculus with a ``prefixed sum'', in which types express the form of computation path of which a process is capable. Its operational semantics, bisimulation, congruence properties and expressive power are explored; in particular, it is shown how it can directly encode process languages such as CCS, CCS with process passing, and mobile ambients with public names.


2004 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Glynn Winskel ◽  
Francesco Zappa Nardelli

This paper introduces new-HOPLA, a concise but powerful language for higher-order nondeterministic processes with name generation. Its origins as a metalanguage for domain theory are sketched but for the most part the paper concentrates on its operational semantics. The language is typed, the type of a process describing the shape of the computation paths it can perform. Its transition semantics, bisimulation, congruence properties and expressive power are explored. Encodings are given of well-known process algebras, including pi-calculus, Higher-Order pi-calculus and Mobile Ambients.


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