Homotopy Bisimilarity for Higher-Dimensional Automata

We introduce a new category of higher-dimensional automata in which the morphisms are functional homotopy simulations, i.e. functional simulations up to concurrency of independent events. For this, we use unfoldings of higher-dimensional automata into higher-dimensional trees. Using a notion of open maps in this category, we define homotopy bisimilarity. We show that homotopy bisimilarity is equivalent to a straight-forward generalization of standard bisimilarity to higher dimensions, and that it is finer than split bisimilarity and incomparable with history-preserving bisimilarity.Comment: Heavily revised version of arXiv:1209.492

Combinatorics of branchings in higher dimensional automata

We explore the combinatorial properties of the branching areas of execution paths in higher dimensional automata. Mathematically, this means that we investigate the combinatorics of the negative corner (or branching) homology of a globular $\omega$-category and the combinatorics of a new homology theory called the reduced branching homology. The latter is the homology of the quotient of the branching complex by the sub-complex generated by its thin elements. Conjecturally it coincides with the non reduced theory for higher dimensional automata, that is $\omega$-categories freely generated by precubical sets. As application, we calculate the branching homology of some $\omega$-categories and we give some invariance results for the reduced branching homology. We only treat the branching side. The merging side, that is the case of merging areas of execution paths is similar and can be easily deduced from the branching side.Comment: Final version, see http://www.tac.mta.ca/tac/volumes/8/n12/abstract.htm

History-Preserving Bisimilarity for Higher-Dimensional Automata via Open Maps

We show that history-preserving bisimilarity for higher-dimensional automata has a simple characterization directly in terms of higher-dimensional transitions. This implies that it is decidable for finite higher-dimensional automata. To arrive at our characterization, we apply the open-maps framework of Joyal, Nielsen and Winskel in the category of unfoldings of precubical sets.Comment: Minor updates in accordance with reviewer comments. Submitted to MFPS 201

Combinatorics of labelling in higher dimensional automata

The main idea for interpreting concurrent processes as labelled precubical sets is that a given set of n actions running concurrently must be assembled to a labelled n-cube, in exactly one way. The main ingredient is the non-functorial construction called labelled directed coskeleton. It is defined as a subobject of the labelled coskeleton, the latter coinciding in the unlabelled case with the right adjoint to the truncation functor. This non-functorial construction is necessary since the labelled coskeleton functor of the category of labelled precubical sets does not fulfil the above requirement. We prove in this paper that it is possible to force the labelled coskeleton functor to be well-behaved by working with labelled transverse symmetric precubical sets. Moreover, we prove that this solution is the only one. A transverse symmetric precubical set is a precubical set equipped with symmetry maps and with a new kind of degeneracy map called transverse degeneracy. Finally, we also prove that the two settings are equivalent from a directed algebraic topological viewpoint. To illustrate, a new semantics of CCS, equivalent to the old one, is given.Comment: 47 pages, LaTeX2e, no figure

Weak equivalence of higher-dimensional automata

This paper introduces a notion of equivalence for higher-dimensional automata, called weak equivalence. Weak equivalence focuses mainly on a traditional trace language and a new homology language, which captures the overall independence structure of an HDA. It is shown that weak equivalence is compatible with both the tensor product and the coproduct of HDAs and that, under certain conditions, HDAs may be reduced to weakly equivalent smaller ones by merging and collapsing cubes.This research was partially supported by FCT (Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, Portugal) through project UID/MAT/00013/2013

Weak equivalence of higher-dimensional automata

This paper introduces a notion of equivalence for higher-dimensional automata, called weak equivalence. Weak equivalence focuses mainly on a traditional trace language and a new homology language, which captures the overall independence structure of an HDA. It is shown that weak equivalence is compatible with both the tensor product and the coproduct of HDAs and that, under certain conditions, HDAs may be reduced to weakly equivalent smaller ones by merging and collapsing cubes

A Kleene Theorem for Higher-Dimensional Automata

We prove a Kleene theorem for higher-dimensional automata (HDAs). It states that the languages they recognise are precisely the rational subsumption-closed sets of interval pomsets. The rational operations include a gluing composition, for which we equip pomsets with interfaces. For our proof, we introduce HDAs with interfaces as presheaves over labelled precube categories and use tools inspired by algebraic topology, such as cylinders and (co)fibrations. HDAs are a general model of non-interleaving concurrency, which subsumes many other models in this field. Interval orders are used as models for concurrent or distributed systems where events extend in time. Our tools and techniques may therefore yield templates for Kleene theorems in various models and applications