In order to define models of simply typed functional programming languages being closer to the operational semantics of these languages, the notions of sequentiality, stability and seriality were introduced. These works originated from the definability problem for PCF, posed in [Sco72], and the full abstraction problem for PCF, raised in [Plo77]. The presented computation model, forming the class of hereditarily sequential functionals, is based on a game in which each play describes the interaction between a functional and its arguments during a computation. This approach is influenced by the work of Kleene [Kle78], Gandy [Gan67], Kahn and Plotkin [KP78], Berry and Curien [BC82, Cur86, Cur92], and Cartwright and Felleisen [CF92]. We characterize the computable elements in this model in two different ways: (a) by recursiveness requirements for the game, and (b) as definability with the schemata (S1)-- (S8), (S11), which is related to definability in PCF. It turns out that both definitio...

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Abstract Nondeterminism is a pervasive phenomenon in computation. Often it arises as an emergent property of a complex system, typically as the result of contention for access to shared resources. In such circumstances, we cannot always know, in advance, exactly what will happen. In other circumstances, nondeterminism is explicitly introduced as a means of abstracting away from implementation details such as precise command scheduling and control flow. However, the kind of behaviours exhibited by nondeterministic computations can be extremely subtle in comparison to those of their deterministic counterparts and reasoning about such programs is notoriously tricky as a result. It is therefore important to develop semantic tools to improve our understanding of, and aid our reasoning about, such nondeterministic programs. In this thesis, we extend the framework of game semantics to encompass nondeterministic computation. Game semantics is a relatively recent development in denotational semantics; its main novelty is that it views a computation not as a static entity, but rather as a dynamic process of interaction. This perspective makes the theory well-suited to modelling many aspects of computational processes: the original use of game semantics in modelling the simple functional language PCF has subsequently been extended to handle more complex control structures such as references and continuations.

This course introduces the operational and denotational semantics of PCF and examines the relationship between the two. Topics: Syntax and operational semantics of PCF, Activity Lemma, undefinability of parallel or; Context Lemma (first principles proof) and proof by logical relations Denotational semantics of PCF induced by an interpretation; (standard) Scott model, adequacy, weak adequacy and its proof (by a computability predicate) Domain Theory up to SFP and Scott domains; non full abstraction of the standard model, definability of compact elements and full abstraction for PCFP (PCF + parallel or), properties of order-extensional (continuous) models of PCF, Milner's model and Mulmuley's construction (excluding proofs) Additional topics (time permitting): results on pure simply-typed lambda calculus, Friedman 's Completeness Theorem, minimal model, logical relations and definability, undecidability of lambda definability (excluding proof), dI-domains and stable functions Homepa...

We prove that the class of stable models is incomplete with respect to pure λ-calculus. More precisely, we show that no stable model has the same theory as the strongly stable version of Park's model. This incompleteness proof can be adapted to the continuous case, giving an incompleteness proof for this case which is much simpler than the original proof by Honsell an Ronchi della Rocca. Moreover, we isolate a very simple finite set, F , of equations and inequations, which has neither a stable nor a continuous model, and which is included in Th(P fs ) and in T

We discuss the conceptual problem of identifying the natural notions of computability at higher types (over the natural numbers). We argue for an eclectic approach, in which one considers a wide range of possible approaches to defining higher type computability and then looks for regularities. As a first step in this programme, we give an extended survey of the di#erent strands of research on higher type computability to date, bringing together material from recursion theory, constructive logic and computer science. The paper thus serves as a reasonably complete overview of the literature on higher type computability. Two sequel papers will be devoted to developing a more systematic account of the material reviewed here.

It is well-known that stable models (as dI-domains, qualitative domains and coherence spaces) are not fully abstract for the languagePCF. This fact is related to the existence of stable parallel functions and of stable functions that are not monotone with respect to the extensional order, which cannot be defined by programs ofPCF. In this paper, a paradigmatic programming language namedStPCF is proposed, which extends the languagePCF with two additional operators. The operational description of the extended language is presented in an effective way, although the evaluation of one of the new operators cannot be formalized in a PCF-like rewrite system. SinceStPCF can define all finite cliques of coherence spaces the above gap with stable models is filled, consequently stable models are fully abstract for the extended language. 1

Stable bistructures are a generalisation of event structures to represent spaces of functions at higher types; the partial order of causal dependency is replaced by two orders, one associated with input and the other output in the behaviour of functions. They represent Berry's bidomains. The representation can proceed in two stages. Bistructures form a categorical model of Girard's linear logic consisting of a linear category together with a comonad. The comonad has a co-Kleisli category which is equivalent to a cartesian-closed full subcategory of Berry's bidomains. A main motivation for bidomains came from the full abstraction problem for Plotkin's functional language PCF. However, although the bidomain model incorporates both the Berry stable order and the Scott pointwise order, its PCF theory (those inequalities on terms which hold in the bidomain model) does not include that of the Scott model. With a simple modification we can obtain a new model of PCF, combining the Berry and Scott orders, which does not have this inadequacy.

In this paper we establish the existence of a lambda theory which can be modeled in continuous semantics but neither in stable nor hypercoherent semantics. That give us

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