Semantic Domains and Denotational Semantics

Abstract

Denotational Semantics is a framework for the formal description of programming language semantics. The main idea of Denotational Semantics is that each phrase of the described language is given a denotation: a mathematical object that represents the contribution of the phrase to the meaning of any program in which it occurs. Moreover, the denotation of each phrase is determined just by the denotations of its subphrases.

This report consists of two chapters. The first, Semantic Domains, was written by Gunter and Scott. It is concerned with the theory of domains of denotations. The second, Denotational Semantics, was written by Mosses. It explains the formal notation used in denotational descriptions, and illustrates the major standard technigues for finding denotations of programming constructs.

Both chapters are to appear in the forthcoming Handbook of Theoretical Computer Science (North-Holland).