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On syntactic and semantic action refinement

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Theoretical Aspects of Computer Software (TACS 1994)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 789))

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Abstract

The semantic definition of action refinement on labelled event structures is compared with the notion of syntactic substitution, which can be used as another notion of action refinement in a process algebraic setting. This is done by studying a process algebra equipped with the ACP sequential composition, parallel composition with an explicit synchronisation set, and an operator for action refinement. On the one hand, the language (including the refinement operator) is given a flow event structure semantics. On the other hand, a reduction procedure transforms a process term P into a flat term (i.e., with the refinement operator not occurring in it) red(P) by means of syntactic substitution, defined in a structural inductive way.

The main aim of the paper is to find general conditions under which the terms P and red(P) have the same semantics. The results we present are essentially dependent on the question whether the refined action can be synchronised or not. In the latter case, P and red(P) give rise to isomorphic flow event structures under mild assumptions. The former case is considerably more difficult. We give necessary and sufficient semantic conditions under which refinement can be distributed over synchronisation up to isomorphic domains of configurations. Subsequently we also give sufficient (but not necessary) syntactic conditions for reducible terms.

on leave at the University of Hildesheim while doing this research

This work has been partially supported by Esprit Basic Research Working Group 6067 CALIBAN (Causal Calculi Based on Nets); the second author also 40% by the Italian CNR.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Informatik, University of Hildesheim, P.O.Box 101363, D-31113, Hildesheim, Germany

    Ursula Goltz

  2. Dipartimento di Matematica, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 5, I-40127, Bologna, Italy

    Roberto Gorrieri

  3. Tele-Informatics and Open Systems, University of Twente, P.O.Box 217, NL-7500, AE Enschede, The Netherlands

    Arend Rensink

Authors
  1. Ursula Goltz
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  2. Roberto Gorrieri
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  3. Arend Rensink
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Masami Hagiya John C. Mitchell

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© 1994 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Goltz, U., Gorrieri, R., Rensink, A. (1994). On syntactic and semantic action refinement. In: Hagiya, M., Mitchell, J.C. (eds) Theoretical Aspects of Computer Software. TACS 1994. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 789. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-57887-0_106

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-57887-0_106

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-48383-0

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