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*                       Ecole Normale Supe'rieure                   *
*                                                                   *
*                              Se'minaire                           *
*                SEMANTIQUE ET INTERPRETATION ABSTRAITE             *
*                              P. Cousot                            *
*                                                                   *
*                        Vendredi, 14h00--15h30                     *
*                           Salle S16, etage -1                     *
*                  DI  ENS  45 rue d'Ulm  75005 Paris               *
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*** Vendredi 24 mars 2006 *******************************************

Olivier Danvy (BRICS, University of Aarhus, Denmark, Invited prof. ENS)

Defunctionalized Interpreters for Higher-Order Programming Languages

Abstract: 

This lecture describes a derivational approach to one-step reduction,         
evaluation, and abstract machines.  A technique called `refocusing'           
makes it possible to go from one-step reduction to a pre-abstract             
machine, and from there to a staged abstract machine and then an              
eval/apply abstract machine, and under some conditions to a push/enter        
machine.  Conversely, a combination of simple program transformations         
(lambda-lifting, closure conversion, CPS transformation,                      
defunctionalization) makes it possible to mechanically transform              
interpreters (implementations of denotational semantics and of big-step       
operational semantics) into abstract machines (implementations of             
small-step operational semantics).  The derivational approach makes it        
possible to relate one-step reduction and evaluation, and to                  
reconstruct known abstract machines as well as to construct new ones.         
                                                                              
The title is deliberately reminiscent of John Reynolds's seminal              
article "Definitional Interpreters for Higher-Order Programming               
Languages".  Why don't you quickly re-read it before attending the            
lecture?                                                                      
                                                                              
  http://www.brics.dk/~hosc/vol11/4-reynolds.html                             
  http://www.brics.dk/~hosc/vol11/4-reynolds2.html                            

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Pour recevoir l'annonce par courrier electronique: 
WWW: http://www.di.ens.fr/~cousot/annonceseminaire.shtml
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