A duality between exceptions and states

TL;DR

This paper explores a categorical duality between exceptions and states, two fundamental computational effects, by analyzing their semantics and separating control flow from recovery operations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel perspective by dissociating control flow from recovery in exception handling, revealing a duality with state effects.

Findings

Identifies a categorical duality between exceptions and states.

Provides a new semantic framework for understanding these effects.

Highlights the separation of control and recovery in exception handling.

Abstract

In this short note we study the semantics of two basic computational effects, exceptions and states, from a new point of view. In the handling of exceptions we dissociate the control from the elementary operation which recovers from the exception. In this way it becomes apparent that there is a duality, in the categorical sense, between exceptions and states.