The foundational legacy of ASL

Abstract. We recall the kernel algebraic specification language ASL and outline its main features in the context of the state of research on algebraic specification at the time it was conceived in the early 1980s. We discuss the most significant new ideas in ASL and the influence they had on subsequent developments in the field and on our own work in particular.

Interpolation Is (Not Always) Easy to Spoil

We study a version of the Craig interpolation theorem as formulated in the framework of the theory of institutions. This formulation proved crucial in the development of a number of key results concerning foundations of software specification and formal development. We investigate preservation of interpolation under extensions of institutions by new models and sentences. We point out that some interpolation properties remain stable under such extensions, even if quite arbitrary new models or sentences are permitted. We give complete characterisations of such situations for institution extensions by new models, by new sentences, as well as by new models and sentences, respectively

A semantic approach to interpolation

Craig interpolation is investigated for various types of formulae. By shifting the focus from syntactic to semantic interpolation, we generate, prove and classify a series of interpolation results for first-order logic. A few of these results non-trivially generalize known interpolation results; all the others are new. We also discuss someapplications of our results to the theory of institutions and of algebraic specifications,and a Craig-Robinson version of these results

A semantic approach to interpolation

Craig interpolation is investigated for various types of formulae. By shifting the focus from syntactic to semantic interpolation, we generate, prove and classify a series of interpolation results for first-order logic. A few of these results non-trivially generalize known interpolation results; all the others are new. We also discuss someapplications of our results to the theory of institutions and of algebraic specifications,and a Craig-Robinson version of these results