Introductory note to "Object-Oriented Algebra Specification"
Jan Aldert Bergstra, Jan Heering, Jan Willem Klop, Krzysztof Rafal Apt, Lex Schrijver, Nico Μ. Τemme · Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), the national research institute for mathematics and computer science in the Netherlands · 1994
The following CWI report proposes a notation for OOAS (Object-Oriented Algebraic Specification).It is or1e of four related for111alisn1s in the area of algebraic specification tl1at were co11ceived around 1984 at CWI.The other ones were ACP (Algebra of Co1nml1nicating Processes), ASF (Algebraic Specification Forrnalis111), arid BMA (Basic Mod1.1leAlgebra).vVhereas tl1ese l1ave generated and still generate a significa11t volur11e of research, OOAS was co11sidered of minor importance a11d, apart from its use in [1], no further study of it was made by CWI researchers.In retrospect, this is u11fortunate.Wl1en Banatre et al.[2] independently introduced n1ultiset progran1ming, whicl1 in turn led Berry and Boudol [3] to the Chemical Abstract Machine (CHAM), the underlying co11cepts and definitions turned out to be very close to OOAS.Since then the Fre11ch researchers have made subst~ntial progress, a11d the CHAM has beco1ne an i1nportant theoretical tool.We respectfully dedicate this account of the vagaries of scient,ific work to CorBaayen on the occasion of his retirement as scientific director fron1 CWI.3.