Programs, Recursion and Unbounded Choice

A complete account of the predicate transformation calculus semantics of sequential programs.

Wim H. Hesselink (Author)

9780521018296, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 22 August 2005

240 pages
24.5 x 17 x 1.2 cm, 0.385 kg

"...of interest for theoretical computer scientists and mathematicians..." Mathematical Reviews

This book is a complete account of the predicate transformation calculus semantics of sequential programs, including repetitions, recursive procedures, computational induction and unbounded nondeterminacy. Predicate transformation semantics are the best specification method for the development of correct and well-structured computer programs. The author develops this theory to a greater depth than has been achieved before, and describes it in a way that makes it readily compatible with programming rules for partial and total correctness of repetitions and recursive procedures, supplies new rules for proving incorrectness, and a stronger rule for proving that two programs satisfy the same specifications. Finally, the semantics are extended so that non-terminating programs can be specified as well. This will be essential reading for all computer scientists working in specification and verification of programs.

List of symbols
Introduction
1. Weakest preconditions
2. Annotation, recursion and repetition
3. Healthiness laws
4. Semantics of recursion
5. Ramifications
6. Relational semantics
7. Determinacy and disjunctivity
8. Syntactic criteria
9. Operational semantics of recursion
10. Procedure substitutions
11. Induction and semantic equality
12. Induction and refinement
13. The strong preorder
14. Temporal operators
15. Predicative fairness
16. Solutions of exercises
References
Index of concepts and identifiers.

Subject Areas: Mathematical theory of computation [UYA]