41,156 research outputs found
The Glory of the Past and Geometrical Concurrency
This paper contributes to the general understanding of the geometrical model
of concurrency that was named higher dimensional automata (HDAs) by Pratt. In
particular we investigate modal logics for such models and their expressive
power in terms of the bisimulation that can be captured. The geometric model of
concurrency is interesting from two main reasons: its generality and
expressiveness, and the natural way in which autoconcurrency and action
refinement are captured. Logics for this model, though, are not well
investigated, where a simple, yet adequate, modal logic over HDAs was only
recently introduced. As this modal logic, with two existential modalities,
during and after, captures only split bisimulation, which is rather low in the
spectrum of van Glabbeek and Vaandrager, the immediate question was what small
extension of this logic could capture the more fine-grained hereditary history
preserving bisimulation (hh)? In response, the work in this paper provides
several insights. One is the fact that the geometrical aspect of HDAs makes it
possible to use for capturing the hh-bisimulation, a standard modal logic that
does not employ event variables, opposed to the two logics (over less
expressive models) that we compare with. The logic that we investigate here
uses standard past modalities and extends the previously introduced logic
(called HDML) that had only forward, action-labelled, modalities. Besides, we
try to understand better the above issues by introducing a related model that
we call ST-configuration structures, which extend the configuration structures
of van Glabbeek and Plotkin. We relate this model to HDAs, and redefine and
prove the earlier results in the light of this new model. These offer a
different view on why the past modalities and geometrical concurrency capture
the hereditary history preserving bisimulation. Additional correlating insights
are also gained.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure
A Logic for True Concurrency
We propose a logic for true concurrency whose formulae predicate about events
in computations and their causal dependencies. The induced logical equivalence
is hereditary history preserving bisimilarity, and fragments of the logic can
be identified which correspond to other true concurrent behavioural
equivalences in the literature: step, pomset and history preserving
bisimilarity. Standard Hennessy-Milner logic, and thus (interleaving)
bisimilarity, is also recovered as a fragment. We also propose an extension of
the logic with fixpoint operators, thus allowing to describe causal and
concurrency properties of infinite computations. We believe that this work
contributes to a rational presentation of the true concurrent spectrum and to a
deeper understanding of the relations between the involved behavioural
equivalences.Comment: 31 pages, a preliminary version appeared in CONCUR 201
Causality in concurrent systems
Concurrent systems identify systems, either software, hardware or even
biological systems, that are characterized by sets of independent actions that
can be executed in any order or simultaneously. Computer scientists resort to a
causal terminology to describe and analyse the relations between the actions in
these systems. However, a thorough discussion about the meaning of causality in
such a context has not been developed yet. This paper aims to fill the gap.
First, the paper analyses the notion of causation in concurrent systems and
attempts to build bridges with the existing philosophical literature,
highlighting similarities and divergences between them. Second, the paper
analyses the use of counterfactual reasoning in ex-post analysis in concurrent
systems (i.e. execution trace analysis).Comment: This is an interdisciplinary paper. It addresses a class of causal
models developed in computer science from an epistemic perspective, namely in
terms of philosophy of causalit
New remarks on the Cosmological Argument
We present a formal analysis of the Cosmological Argument in its two main
forms: that due to Aquinas, and the revised version of the Kalam Cosmological
Argument more recently advocated by William Lane Craig. We formulate these two
arguments in such a way that each conclusion follows in first-order logic from
the corresponding assumptions. Our analysis shows that the conclusion which
follows for Aquinas is considerably weaker than what his aims demand. With
formalizations that are logically valid in hand, we reinterpret the natural
language versions of the premises and conclusions in terms of concepts of
causality consistent with (and used in) recent work in cosmology done by
physicists. In brief: the Kalam argument commits the fallacy of equivocation in
a way that seems beyond repair; two of the premises adopted by Aquinas seem
dubious when the terms `cause' and `causality' are interpreted in the context
of contemporary empirical science. Thus, while there are no problems with
whether the conclusions follow logically from their assumptions, the Kalam
argument is not viable, and the Aquinas argument does not imply a caused
origination of the universe. The assumptions of the latter are at best less
than obvious relative to recent work in the sciences. We conclude with mention
of a new argument that makes some positive modifications to an alternative
variation on Aquinas by Le Poidevin, which nonetheless seems rather weak.Comment: 12 pages, accepted for publication in International Journal for
Philosophy of Religio
Review of Edward Branigan, Narrative Comprehension and Film. London and New York: Routledge, 1992. (Distributed by the Law Book Company Ltd.). 325pp. ISBN 0415075114. (pbk), $45.00.
If Point of View in the Cinema introduced its author as one of the leading film analysts by its attention to the details of the process of cinematic presentation, Narrative Comprehension and Film establishes Edward Branigan as a creative theorist beyond the boundaries of film. The book's voice is that of a craftsman speaking from his workshop. No deconstructive symplok and certainly no rhetorical terrorism. Instead, we find a certain modesty of style, which is deceptive considering that Branigan offers a great deal of substance and a range of attractive speculative insights. The author's mastery of technical intricacies within the broader frame of general narrative makes Narrative Comprehension and Film an outstanding teaching book for film studies as well as other disciplines in the humanities. What makes it especially appealing is its careful elaboration of an inferential account of how we make sense of narrative. For this and other reasons, it is well worth paying closer attention than is perhaps usual for a review article to how the book's argument unfolds and in particular to how it manages to relate the double argument about narrative in film and human perception as interpretive construals
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