Timing issues are of growing importance for the conceptualization and design of computer-based systems. Timing may simply be essential for the correct behaviour of a system, e.g. of a controller. Even if timing is not essential for the correct behaviour of a system, there may be good reasons to introduce it in such a way that suitable timing becomes relevant for the correct behaviour of a complex system. This book is unique in presenting four algebraic theories about processes, each dealing with timing from a different point of view, in a coherent and systematic way. The timing of actions is either relative or absolute and the underlying time scale is either discrete or continuous.

Inhalt

1. No Timing.- 2. Discrete Relative Timing.- 3. Discrete Absolute Timing.- 4. Continuous Relative Timing.- 5. Continuous Absolute Timing.- 6. Abstraction.- 7. Features.- A.1 Elimination.- A.2 Soundness.- A.3 Completeness.- B. Background Material.- B.1 Basic Equational Logic and SOS Theory.- B.1.1 Equational Logic.- B.1.2 SOS Theory.- B.2 Some Further Topics.- B.2.1 TSSs with Negative Premises.- B.2.2 Variable Binding Operators.- B.2.3 Conservativity and Completeness.- B.2.4 Generalizations.- B.2.5 Given Sorts and Parametrization.- B.3 Non-negative Real Numbers.- References.