We present a categorical theory of `well-behaved' operational semantics which aims at complementing the established theory of domains and denotational semantics to form a coherent whole. It is shown that, if the operational rules of a programming language can be modelled as a natural transformation of a suitable general form, depending on functorial notions of syntax and behaviour, then one gets both an operational model and a canonical, internally fully abstract denotational model for free; moreover, both models satisfy the operational rules. The theory is based on distributive laws and bialgebras; it specialises to the known classes of well-behaved rules for structural operational semantics, such as GSOS.

. We proposed a syntactical format, the path format, for structured operational semantics in which predicates may occur. We proved that strong bisimulation is a congruence for all the operators that can be defined within the path format. To show that this format is useful we provided many examples that we took from the literature about CCS, CSP, and ACP; they do satisfy the path format but no formats proposed by others. The examples include concepts like termination, convergence, divergence, weak bisimulation, a zero object, side conditions, functions, real time, discrete time, sequencing, negative premises, negative conclusions, and priorities (or a combination of these notions). Key Words & Phrases: structured operational semantics, term deduction system, transition system specification, structured state system, labelled transition system, strong bisimulation, congruence theorem, predicate. 1980 Mathematics Subject Classification (1985 Revision): 68Q05, 68Q55. CR Categories: D.3.1...

Groote and Vaandrager introduced the tyft/tyxt format for Transition System Specifications (TSSs), and established that for each TSS in this format that is well-founded, the bisimulation equivalence it induces is a congruence. In this paper, we construct for each TSS in tyft/tyxt format an equivalent TSS that consists of tree rules only. As a corollary we can give an affirmative answer to an open question, namely whether the well-foundedness condition in the congruence theorem for tyft/tyxt can be dropped. These results extend to tyft/tyxt with negative premises and predicates. 1

Prefix iteration a∗x is added to Minimal Process Algebra (MPAδ), which is a subalgebra of BPAδ equivalent to Milner’s basic CCS. We present a finite equational axiomatization for MPA ∗ δ, and prove that this axiomatization is complete with respect to strong bisimulation equivalence. To obtain this result, we set up a term rewriting system, based on the axioms, and show that bisimilar terms have the same normal form. 1

ion in Structural Operational Semantics (extended abstract) Rob van Glabbeek Computer Science Department, Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305, USA rvg@cs.stanford.edu Abstract This paper explores the connection between semantic equivalences for concrete sequential processes, represented by means of transition systems, and formats of transition system specifications using Plotkin's structural approach. For several equivalences in the linear time -- branching time spectrum a format is given, as general as possible, such that this equivalence is a congruence for all operators specifiable in that format. And for several formats it is determined what is the coarsest congruence with respect to all operators in this format that is finer than partial or completed trace equivalence. 1 Preorders and equivalences on labelled transition systems Definition 1 A labelled transition system (LTS) is a pair (IP; \Gamma!) with IP a set (of processes) and \Gamma!` IP \Theta A \Theta IP for A a se...

s are available from the same host in the directory /pub/TR/UBLCS/ABSTRACTS in plain text format. All local authors can be reached via e-mail at the address last-name@cs.unibo.it. UBLCS Technical Report Series 93-15 Data Algorithm: A Numerical Method to Extract Shape Information from Gray Scale Images, R. Davoli, F. Tamburini, June 1993. 93-16 Towards Performance Evaluation in Process Algebras, R. Gorrieri, M. Roccetti, July 1993. 93-17 Split and ST Bisimulation Semantics, R. Gorrieri, C. Laneve, July 1993. 93-18 Multilanguage Interoperability, G. Attardi, M. Gaspari, July 1993. 93-19 HERMES: an Expert System for the Prognosis of Hepatic Diseases, I. Bonf a, C. Maioli, F. Sarti, G.L. Milandri, P.R. Dal Monte, September 1993. 93-20 An Information Flow Security Property for CCS, R. Focardi, R. Gorrieri, October 1993. 93-21 A Classification of Security Properties, R. Focardi, R. Gorrieri, October 1993. 93-22 Real Time Systems: A Tutorial, F. Panzieri, R. Davoli, October 1993. 93-23 A Sca...

Certain principles are fundamental to operational semantics, regardless of the languages or idioms involved. Such principles include rule-based definitions and proof techniques for congruence results. We formulate these principles in the general context of categorical logic. From this general formulation we recover precise results for particular language idioms by interpreting the logic in particular categories. For instance, results for first-order calculi, such as CCS, arise from considering the general results in the category of sets. Results for languages involving substitution and name generation, such as the π-calculus, arise from considering the general results in categories of sheaves and group actions. As an extended example, we develop a tyft/tyxt-like rule format for open bisimulation in the π-calculus.

In 1981 Structural Operational Semantics (SOS) was introduced as a systematic way to define operational semantics of programming languages by a set of rules of a certain shape [62]. Subsequently, the format of SOS rules became the object of study. Using so-called Transition System Specifications (TSS’s) several authors syntactically restricted the format of rules and showed several useful properties about the semantics induced by any TSS adhering to the format. This has resulted in a line of research proposing several syntactical rule formats and associated meta-theorems. Properties that are guaranteed by such rule formats range from well-definedness of the operational semantics and compositionality of behavioral equivalences to security- and probability-related issues. In this paper, we provide an initial hierarchy of SOS rules formats and meta-theorems formulated around them.

In 1981 Structural Operational Semantics (SOS) was introduced as a systematic way to define operational semantics of programming languages by a set of rules of a certain shape [G.D. Plotkin, A structural approach to operational semantics, Technical

Abstract. We treat theory and application of timed process algebra. We focus on a variant that uses explicit termination and action prefixing. This variant has some advantages over other variants. We concentrate on relative timing, but the treatment of absolute timing is similar. We treat both discrete and dense timing. We build up the theory incrementally. The different algebras are interrelated by embeddings and conservative extensions. As an example, we consider the PAR communication protocol. 1