Distributed Control Flow with Classical Modal Logic

In previous work we presented a foundational calculus for spatially distributed computing based on intuitionistic modal logic. With the modalities P and Q we were able to capture two key invariants: the mobility of portable code and the locality of fixed resources. This work investigates issues in distributed control flow through a similar propositions-as-types interpretation of classical modal logic. The resulting programming language is enhanced with the notion of a network-wide continuation, through which we can give computational interpretation of classical theorems (such as PA ≡ ¬Q¬A). Such continuations are also useful primitives for building higher-level constructs of distributed computing. The resulting system is elegant, logically faithful, and computationally reasonable.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: CSL
• Authors: Tom Murphy VII, Karl Crary, Robert Harper
• Keywords: CSL 2005, Distributed Computing, Intuitionistic Modal Logic, Modal Logic