| Physical description |
xii,161 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Contents |
Pt. I. Communicating Systems. 1. Introduction. 2. Behaviour of Automata. 3. Sequential Processes and Bisimulation. 4. Concurrent Processes and Reaction. 5. Transitions and Strong Equivalence. 6. Observation Equivalence: Theory. 7. Observation Equivalence: Examples -- Pt. II. The [pi]-Calculus. 8. What is Mobility? 9. The [pi]-Calculus and Reaction. 10. Applications of the [pi]-Calculus. 11. Sorts, Objects, and Functions. 12. Commitments and Strong Bisimulation. 13. Observation Equivalence and Examples. 14. Discussion and related work. |
| Summary |
In this book Robin Milner introduces a new way of modelling communication. He treats computers and their programs as themselves built from communicating parts, rather than adding communication as an extra level of activity. But the aim of the book is to develop a theory, the [pi]-calculus, in which these things can be treated rigorously. The [pi]-calculus differs from other models of communicating behaviour mainly in its treatment of mobility. The movement of a piece of data inside a computer program is treated exactly the same as the transfer of a message - or indeed an entire computer program - across the internet. One can also describe networks which reconfigure themselves. |
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The calculus is very simple but powerful. Its most prominent notion is that of a name, and it has two important ingredients: the concept of behavioural (or observational) equivalence, and the use of a new theory of types to classify patterns of interactive behaviour. The internet, and its communication protocols fall within the scope of the theory just as much as computer programs, data structures, algorithms and programming languages. This book is the first text book on the subject; it has been long-awaited by professionals and will be welcomed by them, and their students. |
| Subject |
Digital communications -- Mathematical models.
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Computer networks -- Mathematical models.
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Electronic data processing -- Mathematical models.
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| ISBN |
0521643201 (cased) £40.00 |
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0521658691 (paperback) No price |
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0521052165 (paperback) |
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0521052164 hardcover |
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%5D+-Calculus%1FMilner%2C+R.+1934-2010.%1F)
