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Intensionality, Definability and Computation

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Johan van Benthem on Logic and Information Dynamics

Part of the book series: Outstanding Contributions to Logic ((OCTR,volume 5))

Abstract

We look at intensionality from the perspective of computation. In particular, we review how game semantics has been used to characterize the sequential functional processes, leading to powerful and flexible methods for constructing fully abstract models of programming languages, with applications in program analysis and verification. In a broader context, we can regard game semantics as a first step towards developing a positive theory of intensional structures with a robust mathematical structure, and finding the right notions of invariance for these structures.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See e.g. https://sites.google.com/site/galopws/ for a workshop series devoted to this topic.

  2. 2.

    Cf. Henry James on the Russian masters.

  3. 3.

    This argument is due to Gordon Plotkin (personal communication).

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Abramsky, S. (2014). Intensionality, Definability and Computation. In: Baltag, A., Smets, S. (eds) Johan van Benthem on Logic and Information Dynamics. Outstanding Contributions to Logic, vol 5. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06025-5_5

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