Denotational semantics of a calculator
Ken Slonneger · 1993
Denotational semantics1,2,3,4 provides a formal method of precisely and concisely specifying languages, programming languages as well as other kinds of software such as editors and file systems. But those attributes that make denotational descriptions so effective also lead programmers and software designers to reject the method as too complex. The main goal of this paper is to provide a nontrivial but relatively simple example suitable for presenting the fundamental concepts of denotational semantics, and in the process illustrate the application of sound design principles to denotational definitions to make them accessible to software designers.