Algebraic and Coalgebraic Methods in the Mathematics of Program Construction: International Summer School and Workshop, Oxford, UK, April 10-14, 2000, Revised Lectures

Program construction is about turning specifications of computer software into implementations. Recent research aimed at improving the process of program construction exploits insights from abstract algebraic tools such as lattice theory, fixpoint calculus, universal algebra, category theory, and allegory theory. This textbook-like tutorial presents, besides an introduction, eight coherently written chapters by leading authorities on ordered sets and complete lattices, algebras and coalgebras, Galois connections and fixed point calculus, calculating functional programs, algebra of program termination, exercises in coalgebraic specification, algebraic methods for optimization problems, and temporal algebra.