research-article

Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Linking Operational and Algebraic Semantics for MDESL

Authors:

Jonathan P. BowenAuthors Info & Claims

ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology (TOSEM), Volume 28, Issue 3

Article No.: 14, Pages 1 - 46

https://doi.org/10.1145/3295699

Published: 29 July 2019 Publication History

Abstract

Verilog is a hardware description language (HDL) that has been standardized and widely used in industry. Multithreaded discrete event simulation language (MDESL) is a Verilog-like language. It contains interesting features such as event-driven computation and shared-variable concurrency. This article considers how the algebraic semantics links with the operational semantics for MDESL. Our approach is from both the theoretical and practical aspects. The link is proceeded by deriving the operational semantics from the algebraic semantics. First, we present the algebraic semantics for MDESL. We introduce the concept of head normal form. Second, we present the strategy of deriving operational semantics from algebraic semantics. We also investigate the soundness and completeness of the derived operational semantics with respect to the derivation strategy. Our theoretical approach is complemented by a practical one, and we use the theorem proof assistant Coq to formalize the algebraic laws and the derived operational semantics. Meanwhile, the soundness and completeness of the derived operational semantics is also verified via the mechanical approach in Coq. Our approach is a novel way to formalize and verify the correctness and equivalence of different semantics for MDESL in both a theoretical approach and a practical approach.

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Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Linking Operational and Algebraic Semantics for MDESL

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Published In

cover image ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology

ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology Volume 28, Issue 3

July 2019

278 pages

ISSN:1049-331X

EISSN:1557-7392

DOI:10.1145/3343019

Editor:
Mauro Pezzè
Università della Svizzera italiana and Università di Milano-Bicocca, Switzerland

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Copyright © 2019 ACM.

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Publication History

Published: 29 July 2019

Accepted: 01 March 2019

Revised: 01 January 2019

Received: 01 August 2018

Published in TOSEM Volume 28, Issue 3

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Butterfield ATuong F(2023)Applying Formal Verification to an Open-Source Real-Time Operating SystemTheories of Programming and Formal Methods10.1007/978-3-031-40436-8_13(348-366)Online publication date: 8-Sep-2023
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40436-8_13
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Xiao LZhu H(2022)UTP semantics for the MCA ARMv8 architectureJournal of Systems Architecture: the EUROMICRO Journal10.1016/j.sysarc.2022.102438125:COnline publication date: 18-May-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.sysarc.2022.102438
Xiao LZhu HXu Q(2021)Trace Semantics and Algebraic Laws for Total Store Order Memory ModelJournal of Computer Science and Technology10.1007/s11390-021-1616-136:6(1269-1290)Online publication date: 30-Nov-2021
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Sheng FZhu HHe JYang ZBowen J(2020)Theoretical and Practical Approaches to the Denotational Semantics for MDESL based on UTPFormal Aspects of Computing10.1007/s00165-020-00513-432:2-3(275-314)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2020
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