Semantics of Programming Languages exposes the basic motivations and philosophy underlying the applications of semantic techniques in computer science. It introduces the mathematical theory of programming languages with an emphasis on higher-order functions and type systems. Designed as a text for upper-level and graduate-level students, the mathematically sophisticated approach will also prove useful to professionals who want an easily referenced description of fundamental results and calculi.Basic connections between computational behavior, denotational semantics, and the equational logic of functional programs are thoroughly and rigorously developed. Topics covered include models of types, operational semantics, category theory, domain theory, fixed point (denotational). semantics, full abstraction and other semantic correspondence criteria, types and evaluation, type checking and inference, parametric polymorphism, and subtyping. All topics are treated clearly and in depth, with complete proofs for the major results and numerous exercises.
FREE Two-Day Shipping for Students. Learn more |
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Special Offers and Product Promotions
- Buy $50 in qualifying physical textbooks, get $5 in Amazon MP3 Credit. Here's how (restrictions apply)
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Gunter's book treats the essence of programming language theory—the span between the "meaning" of a computer program, and the concrete and intricate ways in which programs are executed by a machine. He brings together the established theoretical advances in this range. It is rewarding for someone who has played a small part in these developments to see them laid out so expertly, and with such pedagogic concern; readers new to the field—and many who already know a lot about it—will also be rewarded by following its carefully designed path." Professor Robin Milner, University of Edinburgh
About the Author
Carl A. Gunter is Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Deep, lucid, interesting textbook on formal semantics using the lambda calculus.,
By
This review is from: Semantics of Programming Languages: Structures and Techniques (Foundations of Computing) (Hardcover)
As an undergraduate student in the Computer Science major at Yale University during the spring semester of 1992 - 93, I used this textbook in Professor Paul Hudak's class "Computer Science 430b: Formal Semantics."
Personally, I enjoyed using this textbook. It went into great detail into the theory of formal semantics of programming languages, using the lambda calculus. Having come from a background in the Scheme programming language, I immediately found the syntax of the lambda calculus familiar, as it had originally been used as the basis for the LISP programming language, of which Scheme was a variant. Most of the equations and proofs were clear and relatively easy to understand with reasonable effort, although Professor Hudak did suggest more elegant alternatives for some of the equations. The simply-typed lambda calculus, introduced in Chapter 2, proved a relatively easy-to-understand beginning basis for grasping the concepts of formal semantics. The book ventured on to discuss category theory, fixed-point semantics, untyped lambda calculus, and domain theory, among many other topics. In particular, I found the discussions on the simply-typed lambda calculus, category theory, and domain theory interesting. This textbook, together with Paul Hudak's crisp and easy-to-understand teaching style, remain as some of my more pleasant memories from the otherwise brutal and grinding Yale computer science curriculum. Together, they are part of the reason that Scheme, with its basis on the lambda calculus, remains one of my favorite programming languages for the study of programming methodologies. Benjamin L. Russell
2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Theoretical computer science - Semantics,
By Asim (S'pore) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Semantics of Programming Languages: Structures and Techniques (Foundations of Computing) (Hardcover)
This book has a deep coverage; should be enjoyed with a lot of patience and suitable cross references.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
The methods and objectives of semantics of programming languages are different in many ways from those of the semantics of natural language and mathematical logic but borrow a great deal from the work in these areas. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
stable function space, determined colimits, primitive syntax class, letrec notation, inclusive subsets, approximable relations, bifinite cpo, parsing conventions, categorical analog, bifinite domains, mediating arrow, functor action, bounded complete cpo, function space operator, equational rules, convex powerdomain, lower powerdomain, same operational behavior, finitary projections, algebraic cpo, colimiting cone, pointed cpo, runtime type error, strict continuous functions, simple imperative language Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Fixed-Point Theorem, Prove Lemma, Unwinding Theorem, Definability Lemma, Colimit Theorem, Exchange Lemma, Type Equality, Type Proj New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The methods and objectives of semantics of programming languages are different in many ways from those of the semantics of natural language and mathematical logic but borrow a great deal from the work in these areas. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
stable function space, determined colimits, primitive syntax class, letrec notation, inclusive subsets, approximable relations, bifinite cpo, parsing conventions, categorical analog, bifinite domains, mediating arrow, functor action, bounded complete cpo, function space operator, equational rules, convex powerdomain, lower powerdomain, same operational behavior, finitary projections, algebraic cpo, colimiting cone, pointed cpo, runtime type error, strict continuous functions, simple imperative language Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Fixed-Point Theorem, Prove Lemma, Unwinding Theorem, Definability Lemma, Colimit Theorem, Exchange Lemma, Type Equality, Type Proj New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 64
books:
See all 64 books this book cites
47
books
cite this book:
See all 47 books citing this book
- Logic and Computer Science (Apic Studies in Data Processing) by Author Unknown in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Computer Science by Richard Jones in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Basic Category Theory for Computer Scientists (Foundations of Computing) by Benjamin C. Pierce in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Realistic Compiler Generation (Foundations of Computing) by Peter Lee in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Logical Foundations of Functional Programming (Ut Year of Programming Series) by Gerard Huet in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 64 books this book cites
- Control Flow Semantics (Foundations of Computing) by Jaco de Bakker in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Algebraic and Logic Programming: 5th International Conference, ALP '96, Aachen, Germany, September 25 - 27, 1996. Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science) by Michael Hanus on page 313, and Back Matter
- Theoretical Aspects of Object-Oriented Programming: Types, Semantics, and Language Design (Foundations of Computing) by Carl A. Gunter in Front Matter, and page 495
- Higher Order Operational Techniques in Semantics (Publications of the Newton Institute) by Andrew D. Gordon in Front Matter, and page 174
- Programming Languages and Systems - ESOP '96: 6th European Symposium on Programming, Linköping, Sweden, April, 22 - 24, 1996. Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science) by Hanne R. Nielson on page 218, and page 355
See all 47 books citing this book
Books on Related Topics
(learn more)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
So You'd Like to...
|
|
