Flag-Based Big-Step Semantics

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new flag-based method for big-step semantics that efficiently handles divergence and abrupt termination, reducing rule duplication and complexity.

Contribution

It presents a novel flag-based approach to big-step semantics that simplifies the representation of divergence and abrupt termination, improving over previous methods.

Findings

Reduces rule duplication in big-step semantics

Uses fewer premises to represent divergence

Simplifies semantic specifications

Abstract

Structural operational semantic specifications come in different styles: small-step and big-step. A problem with the big-step style is that specifying divergence and abrupt termination gives rise to annoying duplication. We present a novel approach to representing divergence and abrupt termination in big-step semantics using status flags. This avoids the duplication problem, and uses fewer rules and premises for representing divergence than previous approaches in the literature.