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Algebraic Formalisms

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Modeling Time in Computing

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Abstract

In this chapter, we describe the fundamental features of process algebras. Process algebras are essentially operational notations that also support some features typical of descriptive notations, such as the possibility to reason about system specifications in a deductive fashion. The presentation in the chapter targets Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP), a popular process algebra, and gradually introduces features that affect its modeling capabilities, with the usual focus on timing behavior according to the dimensions introduced in Chap. 3. The presentation starts with classic CSP and their trace semantics, continues by analyzing finer-grained semantics (such as those based on transition systems), then discusses extensions of CSP supporting the description of quantitative time and of probabilistic behavior, and concludes with a brief overview of verification tools for CSP.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The states of the transition systems in the current chapter are not enclosed in circles to accommodate wide labels with process definitions.

  2. 2.

    A congruence is an equivalence relation that is preserved by some operations; for example, if X and Y are equivalent (\(X \equiv Y\)), then the maps of X and Y under any function f are also equivalent (\(f(X) \equiv f(Y )\)).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, Zürich, Switzerland

    Carlo A. Furia

  2. Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy

    Dino Mandrioli, Angelo Morzenti & Matteo Rossi

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  1. Carlo A. Furia
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Furia, C.A., Mandrioli, D., Morzenti, A., Rossi, M. (2012). Algebraic Formalisms. In: Modeling Time in Computing. Monographs in Theoretical Computer Science. An EATCS Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32332-4_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32332-4_10

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