A framework for programming and formalizing concurrent objects

ABSTRACT

We propose an object-oriented programming model based on concurrently executing communicating agents which aims to achieve reusability and extensibility of agent descriptions by separating aspects of functionality and synchronization. A formal semantics of an agent is given as a theory in the Temporal Logic of Actions [15] such that a system of agents is formalized by the conjunction of the single agents' specifications plus some axioms representing the communication structure. This representation allows for the formal derivation of systems properties. We terminate this paper by a discussion about the proof of inheritance properties in a parallel environment.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.1 PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES

Additional Classification:
  F. Theory of Computation
  F.1 COMPUTATION BY ABSTRACT DEVICES
      F.1.2 Modes of Computation
          Subjects: Parallelism and concurrency

General Terms:
Design, Performance, Theory