This position paper on the (meta-)theory of Structural Operational Semantic
(SOS) is motivated by the following two questions: (1) Is the (meta-)theory of
SOS dying out as a research field? (2) If so, is it possible to rejuvenate this
field with a redefined purpose?
In this article, we will consider possible answers to those questions by
first analysing the history of the EXPRESS/SOS workshops and the data
concerning the authors and the presentations featured in the editions of those
workshops as well as their subject matters.
The results of our quantitative and qualitative analyses all indicate a
diminishing interest in the theory of SOS as a field of research. Even though
`all good things must come to an end', we strive to finish this position paper
on an upbeat note by addressing our second motivating question with some
optimism. To this end, we use our personal reflections and an analysis of
recent trends in two of the flagship conferences in the field of Programming
Languages (namely POPL and PDLI) to draw some conclusions on possible future
directions that may rejuvenate research on the (meta-)theory of SOS. We hope
that our musings will entice members of the research community to breathe new
life into a field of research that has been kind to three of the authors of
this article.Comment: In Proceedings EXPRESS/SOS2023, arXiv:2309.0578