About data type genericity

Abstract

The notion of genericity and polymorphism is of main interest in the field of abstract data types. Semantic models based on a domain of retracts and continuous functions (theory of Strachey-Scott) are not sufficient to describe some specific aspects of genericity. Other models using categories (Burstall-Goguen) are more appropriate but less conventional. This paper is an attempt to extend the model of Strachey-Scott by techniques used in the categorical approach, that is to say the notion of satisfaction, in order to define a semantic of generic abstract data types The main result is that, as well as typing ensures the validity of the utilisation of values, "typing of types" ensures the validity of the utilisation of types.