In the semantics of programming, nite data types such as finite lists, have traditionally been modelled by initial algebras. Later final coalgebras were used in order to deal with in finite data types. Coalgebras, which are the dual of algebras, turned out to be suited, moreover, as models for certain types of automata and more generally, for (transition and dynamical) systems. An important property of initial algebras is that they satisfy the familiar principle of induction. Such a principle was missing for coalgebras until the work of Aczel (Non-Well-Founded sets, CSLI Leethre Notes, Vol. 14, center for the study of Languages and information, Stanford, 1988) on a theory of non-wellfounded sets, in which he introduced a proof principle nowadays called coinduction. It was formulated in terms of bisimulation, a notion originally stemming from the world of concurrent programming languages. Using the notion of coalgebra homomorphism, the definition of bisimulation on coalgebras can be shown to be formally dual to that of congruence on algebras. Thus, the three basic notions of universal algebra: algebra, homomorphism of algebras, and congruence, turn out to correspond to coalgebra, homomorphism of coalgebras, and bisimulation, respectively. In this paper, the latter are taken

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We investigate the relation between the set-theoretical description of coinduction based on Tarski Fixpoint Theorem, and the categorical description of coinduction based on coalgebras. In particular, we examine set-theoretic generalizations of the coinduction proof principle, in the spirit of Milner's bisimulation "up-to", and we discuss categorical counterparts for these. Moreover, we investigate the connection between these and the equivalences induced by T -coiterative functions. These are morphisms into final coalgebras, satisfying the T -coiteration scheme, which is a generalization of both the coiteration and the corecursion scheme. We generalize Rutten's transformation from coalgebraic bisimulations to set-theoretic bisimulations, in order to cover also the case of bisimulations "up-to". A list of examples of set-theoretic coinductive specifications which appear not to be easily expressible in coalgebraic terms are discussed. Introduction Coinductive definitions and ...

. Hybrid systems combine discrete and continuous dynamics. We introduce a semantics for such systems consisting of a coalgebra together with a monoid action. The coalgebra captures the (discrete) operations on a state space that can be used by a client (like in the semantics of ordinary (non-temporal) object-oriented systems). The monoid action captures the influence of time on the state space, where the monoids that we consider are the natural numbers monoid (N; 0; +) of discrete time, and the positive reals monoid (R0 ; 0; +) of real time. Based on this semantics we develop a hybrid specification formalism with timed method applications: it involves expressions like s:meth@ff, with the following meaning: in state s let the state evolve for ff units of time (according to the monoid action), and then apply the (coalgebraic) method meth. In this formalism we specify various (elementary) hybrid systems, investigate their correctness, and display their behaviour in simulations. We furthe...