Proving Confluence in the Confluence Framework with CONFident

This article describes the *Confluence Framework*, a novel framework for proving and disproving confluence using a divide-and-conquer modular strategy, and its implementation in CONFident. Using this approach, we are able to automatically prove and disprove confluence of *Generalized Term Rewriting Systems*, where (i) only selected arguments of function symbols can be rewritten and (ii) a rather general class of conditional rules can be used. This includes, as particular cases, several variants of rewrite systems such as (context-sensitive) *term rewriting systems*, *string rewriting systems*, and (context-sensitive) *conditional term rewriting systems*. The divide-and-conquer modular strategy allows us to combine in a proof tree different techniques for proving confluence, including modular decompositions, checking joinability of (conditional) critical and variable pairs, transformations, etc., and auxiliary tasks required by them, e.g., joinability of terms, joinability of conditional pairs, etc

On the confluence of lambda-calculus with conditional rewriting

The confluence of untyped \lambda-calculus with unconditional rewriting is now well un- derstood. In this paper, we investigate the confluence of \lambda-calculus with conditional rewriting and provide general results in two directions. First, when conditional rules are algebraic. This extends results of M\"uller and Dougherty for unconditional rewriting. Two cases are considered, whether \beta-reduction is allowed or not in the evaluation of conditions. Moreover, Dougherty's result is improved from the assumption of strongly normalizing \beta-reduction to weakly normalizing \beta-reduction. We also provide examples showing that outside these conditions, modularity of confluence is difficult to achieve. Second, we go beyond the algebraic framework and get new confluence results using a restricted notion of orthogonality that takes advantage of the conditional part of rewrite rules

A rationale for conditional equational programming

AbstractConditional equations provide a paradigm of computation that combines the clean syntax and semantics of LISP-like functional programming with Prolog-like logic programming in a uniform manner. For functional programming, equations are used as rules for left-to-right rewriting; for logic programming, the same rules are used for conditional narrowing. Together, rewriting and narrowing provide increased expressive power. We discuss some aspects of the theory of conditional rewriting, and the reasons underlying certain choices in designing a language based on them. The most important correctness property a conditional rewriting program may posses is ground confluence; this ensures that at most one value can be computed from any given (variable-free) input term. We give criteria for confluence. Reasonable conditions for ensuring the completeness of narrowing as an operational mechanism for solving goals are provided; these results are then extended to handle rewriting with existentially quantified conditions and built-in predicates. Some termination issues are also considered, including the case of rewriting with higher-order terms

Nondeterminism in algebraic specifications and algebraic programs

"Nondeterminism in Algebraic Specifications and Algebraic Programs" presents a mathematical theory for the integration of three concepts: non-determinism, axiomatic specification and term rewriting. For non-deterministic programs, an algebraic specification language is provided which admits the application of automated tools based on term rewriting techniques. This general framework is used to explore connections between logic programming and algebraic programming. Examples from various areas of computer science are given, including results of computer experiments with a prototypical implementation. This book should be of interest to readers working within several fields of theoretical computer science, from algebraic specification theory to formal descriptions of distributed systems

Rewriting-Based Access Control Policies

In this paper we propose a formalization of access control policies based on term rewriting. The state of the system to which policies are enforced is represented as an algebraic term, what allows to model many aspects of the policy environment. Policies are represented as sets of rewrite rules, whose evaluation produces deterministic authorization decisions. We discuss the relation between properties of \trs and those important for access control, and the impact of composing policies to these properties