Networks of real-time processes

Abstract

The input-output function computed by a network of asynchronous real-time processes is proved to be identical to the unique fixed point of a network functional even though the components of the network may compute nonmonotonic functions. The techniques used are those of contractive functions on metric spaces rather than the usual Scott continuity on partial orders. Thus a well-known principle of Kahn is extended to an important model of parallel systems that has been resistant to the traditional approach using Scott continuity.