Communicating and Mobile Systems: The Pi Calculus

Milner, Robin

ISBN 10: 0521643201 / ISBN 13: 9780521643207

Published by Cambridge University Press, 1999

About this Item

This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has hardback covers. In good all round condition. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,450grams, ISBN:9780521643207.

Seller Inventory # 3982666

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Communicating and Mobile Systems: The Pi Calculus
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521643201
• ISBN 13: 9780521643207
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good
• Weight: 450 grams
• Seller catalogs:
  • Science & Technology

About this title

Synopsis

Communication is a fundamental and integral part of computing, whether between different computers on a network, or between components within a single computer. In this book Robin Milner introduces a new way of modelling communication that reflects its position. He treats computers and their programs as themselves built from communicating parts, rather than adding communication as an extra level of activity. Everything is introduced by means of examples, such as mobile phones, job schedualers, vending machines, data structures, and the objects of object-oriented programming. But the aim of the book is to develop a theory, the pi-calculus, in which these things can be treated rigorously. The pi-calculus differs from other models of communicating behaviour mainly in its treatment of mobility. The movement of a piece of data inside a computer program is treated exactly the same as the transfer of a message--or indeed an entire computer program--across the internet. One can also describe networks which reconfigure themselves. The calculus is very simple but powerful; its most prominent ingredient is the notion of a name. Its theory has two important ingredients: the concept of behavioural (or observational) equivalence, and the use of a new theory of types to classify patterns of interactive behaviour. The internet, and its communication protocols, fall within the scope of the theory just as much as computer programs, data structures, algorithms and programming languages. This book is the first textbook on the subject; it has been long-awaited by professionals and will be welcome by them, and their students.

Book Description

Robin Milner introduces a new way of modelling communication that reflects its central position in computing. Everything is introduced by means of examples, such as mobile phones, job schedulers or vending machines, but the aim of the book is to develop a theory, the -calculus, in which these things can be treated rigorously. The internet falls within its scope just as much as computer programs, data structures, algorithms and programming languages. This book is the long-awaited first exposition of the subject and will be welcomed by professionals, and their students.