Higher Order Operational Techniques in Semantics

by Andrew D. Gordon (Editor), Andrew M. Pitts (Editor)

Most object-oriented or functional languages are higher order languages, ones in which the means of manipulation can itself be manipulated. This important reference contains a collection of original articles about recent developments in operational semantics for higher order programming languages by some of the leading researchers in the field. Operational techniques are important because they are closer to implementations and language definitions than more abstract mathematical techniques such as denotational semantics. One of the exciting developments recounted in the book is that mathematical structures and techniques used in denotational semantics (such as fixpoint induction) may be recovered from a purely operational starting point. The book surveys and introduces techniques such as contextual equivalence, applicative bisimulation, logical relations, improvement relations, explicit models of memory management, and labeling techniques for confluence properties. It treats a variety of higher order languages, based on functions, processes and objects, with and without side effects, typed and untyped. Researchers and graduate students will find this book valuable reading.

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 22, 1998