Jozef Winkowski

An Algebra of Data Flows

880

Abstract

An algebra of processes is proposed in which processes are modelled in terms of data rather than events. Structures representing processes are similar to the labelled event structures of Winskel (1982), but they denote flows of data. For processes represented in such a way operations similar to those of CCS (the Calculus of Communicating Systems as developed by Milner (1980)) are defined and their fundamental properties are stated.

Key words: Reactive system, process, history, prefix order, flow of data, approximation order, sum, composition, prefixing, restricting communication, applying a substitution, fixed-point, equivalence.