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A category-theoretic semantics for unbounded indeterminacy

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Mathematical Foundations of Programming Semantics (MFPS 1989)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 442))

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Abstract

In this paper we give a category-theoretic semantics for a simple imperative language featuring unbounded indeterminacy. This semantics satisfies the categorical analogues of continuity and has the meaning of while loops defined as colimits of ω-diagrams. Furthermore, it collapses via an abstraction function to a semantics that is fully abstract, and coincides with the operational semantics. The abstraction function is the only discontinuous function appearing in our semantics.

Supported by NSF grant CCR 8818979

Supported in part by an NSF graduate fellowship

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Science Dept., Cornell University, Upson Hall, 14850, Ithaca, NY

    Prakash Panangaden & James R. Russell

Authors
  1. Prakash Panangaden
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  2. James R. Russell
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Editor information

M. Main A. Melton M. Mislove D. Schmidt

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Panangaden, P., Russell, J.R. (1990). A category-theoretic semantics for unbounded indeterminacy. In: Main, M., Melton, A., Mislove, M., Schmidt, D. (eds) Mathematical Foundations of Programming Semantics. MFPS 1989. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 442. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0040265

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0040265

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-97375-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-34808-7

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