A Genealogy of Control Structures.

Abstract

The issue of control structures has had a heated history in programming. To put this issue on a solid footing, this paper reviews numerous theoretical results on control structures and explores their practical implications. The classic result of Bohm and Jacopini on the theoretical completeness of if-then-else and while-do is discussed. Several recent ideas on control structures, results on time/space limitations, and theorems relating the relative power of control structures under several notions of equivalence. In conclusion, a case is made against the recent arguments of Knuth on the utility of the GOTO statement. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1974
Accession Number
ADA043086

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  • Henry F. Ledgard

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  • University of Massachusetts Amherst

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