π-Calculus, Structured Coalgebras, and Minimal HD-Automata

Abstract

The coalgebraic framework developed for the classical process algebras, and in particular its advantages concerning minimal realizations, does not fully apply to the π-calculus, due to the constraints on the freshly generated names that appear in the bisimulation.

In this paper we propose to model the transition system of the π-calculus as a coalgebra on a category of name permutation algebras and to define its abstract semantics as the final coalgebra of such a category. We show that permutations are sufficient to represent in an explicit way fresh name generation, thus allowing for the definition of minimal realizations.

We also link the coalgebraic semantics with a slightly improved version of history dependent (HD) automata, a model developed for verification purposes, where states have local names and transitions are decorated with names and name relations. HD-automata associated with agents with a bounded number of threads in their derivatives are finite and can be actually minimized. We show that the bisimulation relation in the coalgebraic context corresponds to the minimal HD-automaton.

Research supported by CNR Integrated Project Sistemi Eterogenei Connessi mediante Reti; by Esprit Working Groups CONFER2 and COORDINA; and by MURST project TOSCA.