Constructing differential categories and deconstructing categories of games

Abstract

We present an abstract construction for building differential categories useful to model resource sensitive calculi, and we apply it to categories of games. In one instance, we recover a category previously used to give a fully abstract model of a nondeterministic imperative language. The construction exposes the differential structure already present in this model. A second instance corresponds to a new Cartesian differential category of games. We give a model of a Resource PCF in this category and show that it enjoys the finite definability property. Comparison with a relational semantics reveals that the latter also possesses this property and is fully abstract. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.