Rational spaces and set constraints

Abstract

Set constraints are inclusions between expressions denoting sets of ground terms. They have been used extensively in program analysis and type inference. In this paper we investigate the topological structure of the spaces of solutions to systems of set constraints. We identify a family of topological spaces called rational spaces, which formalize the notion of a topological space with a regular or self-similar structure, such as the Cantor discontinuum or the space of runs of a finite automaton. We develop the basic theory of rational spaces and derive generalizations and proofs from topological principles of some results in the literature on set constraints.