Skip to main content

Fundamental Properties of Infinite Trees

To the memory of C.C. Elgot

  • Chapter
Theoretical Foundations of Programming Methodology

Part of the book series: NATO Advanced Study Institutes Series ((ASIC,volume 91))

Abstract

Infinite trees naturally arise in the formalization and the study of the semantics of programming languages. This paper investigates some of their combinatorial and algebraic properties that are especially relevant to semantics.

This paper is concerned in particular with regular and algebraic infinite trees, not with regular or algebraic sets of infinite trees. For this reason most of the properties stated in this work become trivial when restricted either to finite trees or to infinite words.

It presents a synthesis of various aspects of infinite trees, investigated by different authors in different contexts and hopes to be a first step towards a theory of infinite trees that could take place near the theory of formal languages and the combinatorics of the free monoid.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. A. Arnold, M. Dauchet, Théorie des magmoîdes, Rairo Informatique Théorique 12 (1978) pp.235–257.

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. A. Arnold, M. Nivat, Metric interpretations of infinite trees and semantics of non deterministic recursive programs, Theor. Comput. Sci.11 (1980) pp.181–205.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  3. A. Arnold, M. Nivat, The metric space of infinite trees. Algebraic and topological properties, Fundamenta Informaticae III.4 (1980) pp.445–476.

    Google Scholar 

  4. H. Bekič, Definable operations in general algebras, and the theory of automata and flowcharts, Unpublished work, IBM Laboratory, Vienna, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  5. S. Bloom, All solutions of a system of recursion equations in infinite trees and other contraction theories, J. Comput. System Sci.

    Google Scholar 

  6. S. Bloom, C. Elgot, J. Wright, Solutions of the iteration equation and extensions of the scalar iteration operation, SIAM J. Comput. 9 (1980) pp.25–45.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. S. Bloom, S. Ginali, J. Rutledge, Scalar and vector iteration, J. Comput. System Sci. 14 (1977) pp.251–256.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. S. Bloom, D. Patterson, Easy solutions are hard to find. Proceedings of the 6th Colloquium on trees in algebra and programming Geno a 1981, (to appear in L.N.C.S).

    Google Scholar 

  9. G. Cousineau, La programmation en Exel, Revue Technique de Thomson-CSF 10 (1978) pp.209–234

    Google Scholar 

  10. And 11 (1979) pp.13–35.

    Google Scholar 

  11. G. Cousineau, An algebraic definition for control structures, Theor. Comput. Sci. 12 (1980) pp.175–192.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. B. Courcelle, On jump-deterministic pushdown automata, Math. Systems Theory 11 (1977) pp.87–109.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  13. B. Courcelle, A representation of trees by languages, Theor. Comput. Sci. 6 (1978) pp.255–279

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. and 7 (1978) pp.25–55.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  15. B. Courcelle, Frontiers of infinite trees, Rairo Informatique Théorique 12 (1978) pp.319–337.

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. B. Courcelle, Arbres infinis et systèmes d’équations, Rairo Informatique Théorique 13 (1979) pp.31–48.

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. B. Courcelle, Infinite trees in normal form and recursive equations having a unique solution. Math. Systems Theory 13 (1979) pp.131–180.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  18. B. Courcelle, An axiomatic approach to the Korenjak-Hopcroft algorithms, Report AAI-8018. University of Bordeaux I and communication to the 8th Intern. Conf. on Automata, Languages and Programming, Acre, Israël, 1981 (to appear in L.N.C.S).

    Google Scholar 

  19. B. Courcelle, Work in preparation.

    Google Scholar 

  20. B. Courcelle, P. Franchi-Zannettacci, Attribute grammars and recursive program schemes, to appear in Theor. Comput. Sci.

    Google Scholar 

  21. B. Courcelle, G. Kahn, J. Vuillemin, Algorithmes d’équivalence et de réduction à des expressions minimales, dans une classe d’équations récursives simples, 2nd Int. Coll. on Automata, Languages and Programming, Saarbrücken 1974, L.N.C.S. 14, pp.200–213.

    Google Scholar 

  22. B. Courcelle, M. Leprévost, Unpublished work.

    Google Scholar 

  23. B. Courcelle, J.C. Raoult, Completions of ordered magmas, Fundamenta Informaticae III.1 (1980) pp.105–116.

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  24. B. Courcelle, J. Vuillemin, Completeness results for the equivalence of recursive schemes, J. Comput. System Sci. 12 (1976) pp.179–197.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  25. W. Damm, The I0 — and 0I — hierarchies, Report 41, RWTH Aachen, October 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  26. W. Damm, E. Fehr, K. Indermark, Higher type recursion and self-application as as control structures, in Formal descriptions of programming concepts, E. Neuhold ed., North-Holland 1978, pp.461–487.

    Google Scholar 

  27. C. Elgot, Monadic computation and iterative algebraic theories, Proc. Logic Colloq. 73, North-Holland Pub. Co., Amsterdam (1975) pp.175–230.

    Google Scholar 

  28. C. Elgot, S. Bloom, R. Tindell, The algebraic structure of rooted trees, J. Comput. System Sci. 16 (1978) pp.362–399.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  29. J. Engelfriet, E. Schmidt, I0 and 0I, J. Comput. System Sci. 15 (1977) pp.328–353

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  30. and 16(1978) pp.67–99.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  31. J. Gallier, DPDA’s in “atomic” form and applications to the equivalence problems, Theor. Comput. Sci. 14 (1981) pp.155–186.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  32. S. Ginali, Regular trees and the free iterative theory, J. Comput. System Sci. 18 (1979) pp.228–242.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  33. J. Goguen, J. Thatcher, E. Wagner, J. Wright, Initial algebra semantics and continuous algebras, J. Assoc. Comput. Mach. 24 (1977) pp.68–95.

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  34. S. Gorn, Explicit definitions and linguistic dominoes, Systems and Computer Science, J. Hart and S. Takasu ed., Sept.1965.

    Google Scholar 

  35. I. Guessarian, Program transformations and algebraic semantics, Theor. Comput. Sci. 9 (1979) pp.39–65.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  36. I. Guessarian, Algebraic Semantics, L.N.C.S. 99 (1981).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  37. M. Harrison, Introduction to formal language theory, Addison-Wesley, 1978.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  38. M. Harrison, I. Havel, A. Yehudai, On equivalence of grammars through transformation trees, Theor. Comput. Sci. 9 (1979), pp.173–205.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  39. S. Heilbrunner, An algorithm for the solution of fixed-point equations for infinite words, Rairo Informatique Théorique, 13 (1979) pp.131–141.

    Google Scholar 

  40. G. Huet, Résolution d’équations dans les langages d’ordre 1, 2,.., ω, Doctoral dissertation, Univ. Paris 7, Paris, Sept. 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  41. G. Markowsky, B. Rosen, Bases for Chain-Complete posets, IBM Journ. of Res. and Dev. 20 (1976) pp.138–147.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  42. M. Nivat, On the interpretation of recursive polyadic program schemes, Symposia Mathematica 15, Academic Press, (1975) pp.255–281.

    Google Scholar 

  43. M. Nivat, Mots infinis engendrés par une grammaire algébrique, Rairo Informatique Théorique 11 (1977) pp.311–327.

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  44. M. Nivat, Private communication.

    Google Scholar 

  45. M. Oyamaguchi, N. Honda, The decidability of the equivalence for deterministic stateless pushdown automata, Information and Control 38 (1978) pp.367–376.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  46. M. Oyamaguchi, N. Honda, Y. Inagaki, The equivalence problem for real-time strict deterministic languages. Information and Control 45 (1980) pp.90–115.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  47. M. Paterson, M. Wegman, Linear Unification, J. Comput. System Sci. 16 (1978) pp.158–167.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  48. J. Robinson, A machine-oriented logic based on the resolution principle, J. Assoc. Comput. Mach. 12 (1965) pp.23–41.

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  49. B. Rosen, Tree-manipulating systems and Church-Rosser theorems, J. Assoc. Comput. Mach. 20 (1973) pp.160–187.

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  50. B. Rosen, Program equivalence and context-free grammars, J. Comput. System Sci. 11 (1975) pp.358–374.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  51. M. Schützenberger, On context-free languages and push-down automata, Information and Control 6 (1963) pp.246–264.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  52. L. Valiant, The equivalence problem for deterministic finite-turn push-down automata, Information and Control 25 (1974) pp.123–133.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  53. J. Wright, J. Thatcher, E. Wagner, J. Goguen, Rational algebraic theories and fixed-point solutions, 17th Symp. on Foundations of Computer Science, Houston, Texas, 1976, pp.147–158.

    Google Scholar 

  54. J. Wright, E. Wagner, J. Thatcher, A uniform approach to inductive posets and inductive closure, Theor. Comput. Sci. 7 (1978) pp.57–77.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

References added at revision

  1. S. Bloom, C. Elgot, The existence and construction of free iterative theories, J. Comput. Sci. 12 (1976), 305–318.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. S. Bloom, R. Tindell, Compatible orderings on the metric theory of trees, SIAM J. Comput. 9 (1980), 683–691.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  3. C.C. Elgot, Structured programming with and without GOTO statements, IEEE Trans. on Software Eng. Vol. SE-2 (1976) pp. 41–54.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  4. J. Gallier, Recursion-closed algebraic theories, to appear in J. Comput. System Sci.

    Google Scholar 

  5. B. Courcelle, F. Lavandier, Définitions récursives par cas, to appear.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1982 D. Reidel Publishing Company

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Courcelle, B. (1982). Fundamental Properties of Infinite Trees. In: Broy, M., Schmidt, G. (eds) Theoretical Foundations of Programming Methodology. NATO Advanced Study Institutes Series, vol 91. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7893-5_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7893-5_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-277-1462-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-7893-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics