An algebra of boolean processes

Abstract

This work has been motivated by the study of the S/R models which allow to represent systems as a set of communicating state machines cooperating through a shared memory. We show that S/R models can be expressed in terms of a process algebra called Boolean SCCS which is a special case of Milner’s SCCS, in the sense that the actions are elements of some boolean algebra. We define for Boolean SCCS an operational and a symbolic semantics modulo strong bisimulation equivalence. A complete axiomatisation of bisimulation and simulation equivalences on this algebra is proposed. Furthermore, we propose a very general renaming operator, and show by means of examples that it allows the definition of abstractions.