Open AccessLogical Specification of Operational Semantics
Author(s) -
Peter D. Mosses
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
brics report series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1601-5355
pISSN - 0909-0878
DOI - 10.7146/brics.v6i55.20125
Subject(s) - programming language , rewriting , operational semantics , computer science , logic programming , horn clause , semantics (computer science) , theoretical computer science
Various logic-based frameworks have been proposed for specifying the operational semantics of programming languages and concurrent systems, including inference systems in the styles advocated by Plotkin and by Kahn, Horn logic, equational specifications, reduction systems for evaluation contexts, rewriting logic, and tile logic. We consider the relationship between these frameworks, and assess their respective merits and drawbacks - especially with regard to the modularity of specifications, which is a crucial feature for scaling up to practical applications. We also report on recent work towards the use of the Maude system (which provides an efficient implementation of rewriting logic) as a meta-tool for operational semantics.