Multi-action process algebra

Abstract

In this paper we propose a new process algebra based upon only three combinators: prefixing, composition, and restriction, but whose events (visible aspects of an evolution step) are structured as finite bags of actions. These structured events, called multi-actions, represent simultaneous execution of their actions and allow to handle the “simultaneity dependence” on events. This approach gives rise to a non trivial notion of communication channels, which parameterize composition and restriction operations. Multi-actions allow to avoid the “choice” as a primitive operation without loss of expressiveness of the algebra, which in turn ensures that all the defined equivalences are congruences.