Article

Relating complexity and precision in control flow analysis

Authors:

David Van Horn,

Harry G. MairsonAuthors Info & Claims

ICFP '07: Proceedings of the 12th ACM SIGPLAN international conference on Functional programming

Pages 85 - 96

https://doi.org/10.1145/1291151.1291166

Published: 01 October 2007 Publication History

Abstract

We analyze the computational complexity of kCFA, a hierarchy of control flow analyses that determine which functions may be applied at a given call-site. This hierarchy specifies related decision problems, quite apart from any algorithms that may implement their solutions. We identify a simple decision problem answered by this analysis and prove that in the 0CFA case, the problem is complete for polynomial time. The proof is based on a nonstandard, symmetric implementation of Boolean logic within multiplicative linear logic (MLL). We also identify a simpler version of 0CFA related to η-expansion, and prove that it is complete for logarithmic space, using arguments based on computing paths and permutations.

For any fixed k>0, it is known that kCFA (and the analogous decision problem) can be computed in time exponential in the program size. For k=1, we show that the decision problem is NP-hard, and sketch why this remains true for larger fixed values of k. The proof technique depends on using the approximation of CFA as an essentially nondeterministic computing mechanism, as distinct from the exactness of normalization. When k=n, so that the "depth" of the control flow analysis grows linearly in the program length, we show that the decision problem is complete for exponential time.

In addition, we sketch how the analysis presented here may be extended naturally to languages with control operators. All of the insights presented give clear examples of how straightforward observations about linearity, and linear logic, may in turn be used to give a greater understanding of functional programming and program analysis.

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cover image ACM Conferences

ICFP '07: Proceedings of the 12th ACM SIGPLAN international conference on Functional programming

October 2007

346 pages

ISBN:9781595938152

DOI:10.1145/1291151

General Chair:
Ralf Hinze
Universität Bonn, Germany
,
Program Chair:
Norman Ramsey
Harvard University, USA

ACM SIGPLAN Notices Volume 42, Issue 9
Proceedings of the ICFP '07 conference
September 2007
331 pages
ISSN:0362-1340
EISSN:1558-1160
DOI:10.1145/1291220
Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © 2007 ACM.

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Cited By

Facchinetti LPalmer ZSmith S(2019)Higher-order Demand-driven Program AnalysisACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems10.1145/331034041:3(1-53)Online publication date: 2-Jul-2019
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Park CLee HRyu S(2017)Static analysis of JavaScript libraries in a scalable and precise way using loop sensitivitySoftware: Practice and Experience10.1002/spe.255248:4(911-944)Online publication date: 23-Oct-2017
https://doi.org/10.1002/spe.2552
Matsuoka S(2016)Strong Typed Böhm Theorem and Functional Completeness on the Linear Lambda CalculusElectronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science10.4204/EPTCS.207.1207(1-22)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2016
https://doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.207.1
Cortesi AFerrara PChaki N(2013)Static analysis techniques for robotics software verificationIEEE ISR 201310.1109/ISR.2013.6739742(1-6)Online publication date: Oct-2013
https://doi.org/10.1109/ISR.2013.6739742
Lyde SMight M(2013)Control-Flow Analysis with SAT SolversRevised Selected Papers of the 14th International Symposium on Trends in Functional Programming - Volume 832210.1007/978-3-642-45340-3_8(125-133)Online publication date: 14-May-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-642-45340-3_8
Midtgaard J(2012)Control-flow analysis of functional programsACM Computing Surveys10.1145/2187671.218767244:3(1-33)Online publication date: 14-Jun-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2187671.2187672
Prabhu TRamalingam SMight MHall MBall TSagiv M(2011)EigenCFAProceedings of the 38th annual ACM SIGPLAN-SIGACT symposium on Principles of programming languages10.1145/1926385.1926445(511-522)Online publication date: 26-Jan-2011
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Prabhu TRamalingam SMight MHall M(2011)EigenCFAACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/1925844.192644546:1(511-522)Online publication date: 26-Jan-2011
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Might MSmaragdakis YVan Horn D(2010)Resolving and exploiting the k-CFA paradoxACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/1809028.180663145:6(305-315)Online publication date: 5-Jun-2010
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Might MSmaragdakis YVan Horn DZorn BAiken A(2010)Resolving and exploiting the k-CFA paradoxProceedings of the 31st ACM SIGPLAN Conference on Programming Language Design and Implementation10.1145/1806596.1806631(305-315)Online publication date: 5-Jun-2010
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1806596.1806631
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