Behavioral Theory for Session-Oriented Calculi

This chapter presents the behavioral theory of some of the Sensoria core calculi. We consider SSCC, muse and CC as representatives of the session-based approach and COWS as representative of the correlation-based one. For SSCC, muse and CC the main point is the structure that the session/conversation mechanism creates in programs. We show how the differences between binary sessions, multiparty sessions and dynamic conversations are captured by different behavioral laws. We also exploit those laws for proving the correctness of program transformations. For COWS the main point is that communication is prioritized (the best matching input captures the output), and this has a strong influence on the behavioral theory of COWS. In particular, we show that communication in COWS is neither purely synchronous nor purely asynchronous.