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An Automatic Program Generator for Multi-Level Specialization

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LISP and Symbolic Computation

Abstract

Program specialization can divide a computation into several computation stages. This paper investigates the theoretical limitations and practical problems of standard specialization tools, presents multi-level specialization, and demonstrates that, in combination with the cogen approach, it is far more practical than previously supposed. The program generator which we designed and implemented for a higher-order functional language converts programs into very compact multi-level generating extensions that guarantee fast successive specialization. Experimental results show a remarkable reduction of generation time and generator size compared to previous attempts of multi-level specialization by self-application. Our approach to multi-level specialization seems well-suited for applications where generation time and program size are critical.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DIKU, Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 1, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Robert Glück

  2. Department of Mathematics and Physics, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Jesper Jørgensen

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  1. Robert Glück
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  2. Jesper Jørgensen
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Glück, R., Jørgensen, J. An Automatic Program Generator for Multi-Level Specialization. Higher-Order and Symbolic Computation 10, 113–158 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007763000430

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