Set domains for structural properties of terms.
Agostino Dovier, Alberto Policriti · APPIA-GULP-PRODE · 1997
Usefulness of set domains for abstract interpretation in logic programming has been pointed out by many authors. Such domains are based on ‘flat’ sets; the possibility of nesting sets, offered by the membership relation, allows to build richer domains. In this paper we wish to put the basis for a study of this kind of nested-set domains for abstract interpretation. In particular, starting from the domain of first order terms, we present several abstract set domains allowing one to retain as many structural properties of terms as wanted. A (linear) ordering based on the classical property ‘to be more abstract’ is given for the abstraction functions presented.