EPSRC GRANT GR/L54639/01
Logic Programming, Imperative Programming and Categorical
Semantics
This grant had a value of £151079 and
ran from 21/07/1997 to 20/07/2000.
Investigators:
Research Assistants:
Objectives:
To develop semantic models that account for imperative behaviour as found
in logic programming and imperative programming. To apply these models
to language design and program specification. To develop categorical technology
as an aid in constructing and analysing models, and for showing relations
to logic types and other semantic methods.
Project Abstract:
This work focuses on semantic methods for imperative behaviour as found
in logic programming and other paradigms with local state. There has always
been a tension between the declarative and operational views of a logic
program. Semantics has tended to favour the former, but a proper understanding
of control regimes and imperative features such as cut and assert is essential
to understanding logic programs. In imperative programming the structuring
of programs into parts with local states objects is difficult
to account for in a traditional "global state" semantics. In both cases
we plan to develop semantic models that more accurately model the computational
phenomena, and to use these models to influence language design and program
specification. We aim to explain logic and imperative programming within
a common semantic framework. A good result would be a comparative semantics
for logic and imperative programming, emphasising the role of encapsulated,
or local, state in both paradigms. Categorical methods form the basis
for much of our work, and basic semantic machinery will need to be developed
to cope with the additional burden we intend to place on it.
Project Bibliography:
A list of project-supported publications is available as hypertext
with links to online versions and as citations
in bibtex format.
Final Report:
The final report is available online in pdf
and ps
formats.