%0 Journal Article %1 broy_87_algebraic %A Broy, Manfred %A Wirsing, Martin %A Pepper, Peter %C New York, NY, USA %D 1987 %I ACM %J ACM Trans. Program. Lang. Syst. %K 1987 language algebraic %N 1 %P 54--99 %R 10.1145/9758.10501 %T On the algebraic definition of programming languages %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/9758.10501 %V 9 %X The algebraic specification of the semantics of programming languages is outlined. Particular emphasis is given to the problem of specifying least-fixed points by first-order conditional equations. To cover this issue, the theory of specifying partial heterogeneous algebras by abstract data types is slightly extended by a more general notion of homomorphism. In this framework the semantics of programming languages can be uniquely specified in a purely algebraic way, using particular models of a hierarchy of abstract types. This approach is demonstrated for a simple procedural programming language. Several increasingly complex versions of iterations are treated and analyzed with respect to their theoretical consequences. Finally, as a complementary algebraic technique, transformational semantics is explained and applied to our examples.

@article{broy_87_algebraic, abstract = {The algebraic specification of the semantics of programming languages is outlined. Particular emphasis is given to the problem of specifying least-fixed points by first-order conditional equations. To cover this issue, the theory of specifying partial heterogeneous algebras by abstract data types is slightly extended by a more general notion of homomorphism. In this framework the semantics of programming languages can be uniquely specified in a purely algebraic way, using particular models of a hierarchy of abstract types. This approach is demonstrated for a simple procedural programming language. Several increasingly complex versions of iterations are treated and analyzed with respect to their theoretical consequences. Finally, as a complementary algebraic technique, transformational semantics is explained and applied to our examples.}, added-at = {2009-02-11T22:23:20.000+0100}, address = {New York, NY, USA}, author = {Broy, Manfred and Wirsing, Martin and Pepper, Peter}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/27b8f7e1eb6db7e23c1329896b41b806e/leonardo}, citeulike-article-id = {3404883}, doi = {10.1145/9758.10501}, interhash = {1a6ec09ca7e95cd96be84afb5d53c590}, intrahash = {7b8f7e1eb6db7e23c1329896b41b806e}, issn = {0164-0925}, journal = {ACM Trans. Program. Lang. Syst.}, keywords = {1987 language algebraic}, number = 1, pages = {54--99}, posted-at = {2008-10-15 16:52:04}, priority = {2}, publisher = {ACM}, timestamp = {2009-02-11T22:23:20.000+0100}, title = {On the algebraic definition of programming languages}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/9758.10501}, volume = 9, year = 1987 }