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The Abstract Interpretation of Higher-Order Functional Languages: From Properties to Abstract Domains

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  • Conference paper
Functional Programming, Glasgow 1991

Part of the book series: Workshops in Computing ((WORKSHOPS COMP.))

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Abstract

Over recent years a number of analysis techniques have been developed for higher-order lazy functional languages, and although a few studies have been made comparing the techniques, no fundamental basis for their comparison has yet been found. We suggest that studying the properties an analysis technique can represent, and the ways it has for combining and decomposing them, provides such a basis. Using this notion, we are able to give a rational reconstruction of the use of the tensor product in abstract interpretation. Furthermore, it enables us to see what the appropriate notion of a relational method for the abstract interpretation of a higher-order functional language is, and to show that using the tensor product is not sufficient for defining such an analysis. The paper concludes with observations about several open problems.

This research was partially funded by the Semantique Project — ESPRIT BRA 3124.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computing, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, 180 Queen’s Gate, London, SW7 2BZ, UK

    G L Burn

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  1. G L Burn
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computing, The University, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Scotland

    Rogardt Heldal BSc , Carsten Kehler Holst cand. Scient.  & Philip Wadler PhD ,  & 

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© 1992 British Computer Society

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Burn, G.L. (1992). The Abstract Interpretation of Higher-Order Functional Languages: From Properties to Abstract Domains. In: Heldal, R., Holst, C.K., Wadler, P. (eds) Functional Programming, Glasgow 1991. Workshops in Computing. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3196-0_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3196-0_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-19760-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-3196-0

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