The Semantics of Local Storage of What Makes The Free-list Free?

Abstract

Denotational semantics for an ALGOL-like language with finite-mode procedures, blocks with local storage, and sharing (aliasing) is given by translating programs into an appropriately typed lambda-calculus. Procedures are entirely explained at a purely functional level - independent of the interpretation of program constructs - by continuous models for lambda-calculus. However, the usual (cpo) models are not adequate to model local storage allocation for blocks because storage overflow presents an apparent discontinuity. New domains of store models are offered to solve this problem.