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Boolean Functions for Finite-Tree Dependencies

Roberto Bagnara
Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica
Università di Parma
Parco Area delle Scienze 53/A
I-43124 Parma
Italy

Enea Zaffanella
Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica
Università di Parma
Parco Area delle Scienze 53/A
I-43124 Parma
Italy

Roberta Gori
Dipartimento di Informatica
Università di Pisa
Corso Italia 40
I-56125 Pisa
Italy

Patricia M. Hill
School of Computing
University of Leeds
Leeds, LS2 9JT
United Kingdom

Abstract:

Several logic-based languages, such as Prolog II and its successors, SICStus Prolog and Oz, offer a computation domain including rational trees that allow for increased expressivity and faster unification. Unfortunately, the use of infinite rational trees has problems. For instance, many of the built-in and library predicates are ill-defined for such trees and need to be supplemented by run-time checks whose cost may be significant. In a recent paper [3], we have proposed a data-flow analysis called finite-tree analysis aimed at identifying those program variables (the finite variables) that are not currently bound to infinite terms. Here we present a domain of Boolean functions, called finite-tree dependencies that precisely captures how the finiteness of some variables influences the finiteness of other variables. We also summarize our experimental results showing how finite-tree analysis, enhanced with finite-tree dependencies is a practical means of obtaining precise finiteness information.

References

3
R. Bagnara, R. Gori, P. M. Hill, and E. Zaffanella.
Finite-Tree Analysis for Constraint Logic-Based Languages.
Quaderno 251, Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Parma, 2001.


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[Page last updated on September 24, 2001, 10:41:34.]

© Roberto Bagnara
bagnara@cs.unipr.it

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