Higher-Order and Symbolic Computation, 16(4)297-339

Non-standard semantics for program slicing

Roberto Giacobazzi, Dipartimento di Informatica, Universita di Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Isabella Mastroeni, Dipartimento di Informatica, Universita di Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy

Abstract: In this paper we generalize the notion of compositional semantics to cope with transfinite reductions of a transition system. Standard denotational and predicate transformer semantics, even though compositional, provide inadequate models for some known program manipulation techniques. We are interested in the systematic design of extended compositional semantics, observing possible transfinite computations, i.e. computations that may occur after a given number of infinite loops. This generalization is necessary to deal with program manipulation techniques modifying the termination status of programs, such as program slicing. We include the transfinite generalization of semantics in the hierarchy developed in 1997 by P. Cousot, where semantics at different levels of abstraction are related with each other by abstract interpretation. We prove that a specular hierarchy of non-standard semantics modeling transfinite computations of programs can be specified in such a way that the standard hierarchy can be derived by abstract interpretation. We prove that non-standard transfinite denotational and predicate transformer semantics can be both systematically derived as solutions of simple abstract domain equations involving the basic operation of reduced power of abstract domains. This allows us to prove the optimality of these semantics, i.e. they are the most abstract semantics in the hierarchy which are compositional and observe respectively the terminating and initial states of transfinite computations, providing an adequate mathematical model for program manipulation.

Keywords: Abstract interpretation, semantics, reduced power, compositional semantics, transfinite semantics, program manipulation, program slicing

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