Skip to main content

Semantic Types and Approximation for Featherweight Java

Rowe, Reuben N.S., van Bakel, S.J. (2014) Semantic Types and Approximation for Featherweight Java. Theoretical Computer Science, 517 . pp. 34-74. ISSN 0304-3975. (doi:10.1016/j.tcs.2013.08.017) (KAR id:65743)

Abstract

We consider semantics for the class-based object-oriented calculus Featherweight Java (without casts) based upon approximation. We also define an intersection type assignment system for this calculus and show that it satisfies subject reduction and expansion, i.e. types are preserved under reduction and its converse. We establish a link between type assignment and the approximation semantics by showing an approximation result, which leads to a sufficient condition for the characterisation of head-normalisation and termination.

We show the expressivity of both our calculus and our type system by defining an encoding of Combinatory Logic into our calculus and showing that this encoding preserves typeability. We also show that our system characterises the normalising and strongly normalising terms for this encoding. We thus demonstrate that the great analytic capabilities of intersection types can be applied to the context of class-based object orientation.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.tcs.2013.08.017
Uncontrolled keywords: Featherweight Java; Intersection types; Approximation semantics; Derivation reduction; Strong normalisation
Subjects: Q Science > QA Mathematics (inc Computing science) > QA 76 Software, computer programming,
Q Science > QA Mathematics (inc Computing science) > QA 9 Formal systems, logics
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences > School of Computing
Depositing User: Reuben Rowe
Date Deposited: 17 Jan 2018 11:38 UTC
Last Modified: 10 Dec 2022 14:46 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/65743 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.