A Fully Abstract Semantics for Event-Based Simulation.
Abstract
Event-based simulation is a popular technique for predicting the behavior of, among other things, digital circuits. On the other hand, applicative denotational formalisms, in which circuits are represented by functional equations with an explicit time variable, are becoming popular for other reasoning tasks. Before a system is to be use both approaches to modeling circuits, questions of semantic equivalence must be addressed. In particular, if two circuits are equivalent in one formalism, will they be equivalent in the other? What modeling restrictions are needed to bring this about? This paper shows that, provided circuits no zero-delay loops, a tight relationship, full abstraction, exists between a natural event-based operational semantics for circuits and a natural denotational semantics for circuits based on causal functions on value timelines. The paper also discusses what goes wrong if zero-delay loops are allowed, an illustrates the application of this semantic relationship to modeling questions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA190560
Entities
People
- Robert J. Hall
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology