IMC011 Semantics and Domain Theory Spring 2015

Teacher

Herman Geuvers: home page

Introduction

Denotational Semantics is about assigning a mathematical meaning to syntax (in particular, that of programming languages) which is, in some sense, independent of how the syntax is presented, or what computational rules it may obey (which are properly the subject matter of Operational Semantics).

Domain Theory is the mathematics of the objects, sets-with-structure, and mappings between them, which serve as a vehicle for denotational semantics.

Material

  1. Lecture Notes on Denotational Semantics by Andy Pitts and Glynn Winskel, abbreviated to DENS for now. (Available via internet: PDF file)
  2. Grondslagen van de Informatica 2 course notes by Erik Barendsen, August 1988, abbreviated to GI2 for now
  3. Selected sections from From computation to foundations via functions and application: The lambda-calculus and its webbed models by Chantal Berline, Theoretical Computer Science 249 (2000) pp. 81-161.

Fresh up material for those who haven't followed Semantiek en Correctheid or have forgotten some of that:

  1. Material on operational semantics can be found in Hanne Riis Nielson en Flemming Nielson: Semantics with applications, Wiley 1999 (freely available).
  2. For a recap of lambda calculus, here is a set of selected pages from Introduction to Lambda Calculus by Barendregt and Barendsen. As exercises you may try 2.5 -- 2.10.

Further reading material:

  1. Ch. 3.1 and 3.2 of Domains and Lambda Calculi by Roberto Amadio and Pierre-Louis Curien, Cambridge University Press, 1998, pp: 484
  2. Ch. 13 of Formal Semantics of Programming Languages by Glynn Winskel, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1993.
  3. Ch. 2 and Ch. 8 until page 260 of Semantics of Programming Languages: Structures and Techniques, by Carl Gunter, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1992.

Structure

The course is divided roughly into 3 parts:

Set up

The course consists of 2 hours hoorcollege" Wednesday, 12:45--14:30 (please check the location below as the room is not fixed!), plus "self study" and a "werkcollege" (exercise class) on Tuesday, 12.30-13.30 (lunch break) in HG 01.029.

Look below for updated information on the weekly schedule!

The course by week

The following is the weekly schedule. Every lecture on Wednesday is followed by a exercise class the week after on Tuesday.
Year-week Order Date and Location Material Exercises
6 1 4/2, HG01.029 Chapter 1 of DENS: notes exercises, 10/2, HG01.029
7 2 11/2, HG01.029 Chapter 1 of DENS exercises, 24/2, HG01.029
8 Carnaval week, No lectures
9 3 25/2, HG01.029 Section 2.1 of DENS exercises, 3/3, HG01.029
10 4 4/3, HG01.029 Chapter 2-3 of DENS until Section 3.2 (p. 23) exercises, 10/3, HG01.029
11 5 11/3, HG01.029 Section 3.2, 3.3, Chapter 4 of DENS until slide 21 exercises, 17/3, HG01.029
12 6 18/3, HG01.029 Chapter 4 of DENS until page 36 exercises, 24/3, HG01.029
13 7 25/3, HG01.029 Chapter 5 of DENS, until page 45 exercises, 7/4, HFML0220
14 Exam week, No lectures
15 8 8/4, HG00.308 end of Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 of DENS until page 54 exercises, 14/4, HG01.029
16 9 15/4, HG00.308 end of Chapter 6 + Sections 7.1, 7.2 of DENS exercises, 21/4, HG01.029
17 10 22/4, HG00.308 Section 7.3 + Chapter 8 of DENS exercises, 28/4, HG01.029
18 11 29/4, HG00.308 Stable models: notes and exercises exercises, 12/5, HG01.029
19 May holiday, No lectures
20 12 13/5, LIN 9 The notes of Berline exercises, 26/5, HG01.029
21 I am a week off, No lectures
22 13 27/5, HG00.308 Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 of GI2 exercises, 2/6, HG01.029
23 14 3/6, HG00.308 Chapter 4 of GI2 exercises, 9/6, HG01.029
24 15 10/6, HG00.308 Wrap up of the course just 12:30-13:30 Test Exam, 16/6, HG01.028
26 26/6, HG01.029 Question hour, Handwritten answers to Test Exam. 11:30-12:30

Exam

Monday, June 29, 8:30--11:30, HG00.308
Second chance: Tuesday, August 18, 8:30--11:30, HG01.058

The written exam is "open book", so you can take the course notes and your own notes to the exam.

herman at cs dot ru dot nl