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 welcomed by them, and their students.

First account of new theory of communication in computing which describes networks, as well as parts of computer systems.
Reviews
'... may well become the standard work on the -calculus.' Martin Hoffman, Zentralblatt MATH



Book Information
ISBN 9780521658690
Author Robin Milner
Format Paperback
Page Count 174
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 240g
Dimensions(mm) 227mm * 153mm * 13mm