Continuous Relative Timing

Abstract

In Chaps. 2 and 3, we introduced versions of ACP with relative timing and absolute timing in which time is measured on a discrete time scale. In this chapter and the next one, we will introduce versions of ACP with relative timing and absolute timing in which time is measured on a continuous time scale. The versions with time measured on a continuous time scale are generally considered to be somewhat less simple than the ones with time measured on a discrete time scale. Our main reason to consider measuring time on a continuous time scale is that there are applications of process algebra with timing where important properties are lost if the system involved is approximated by a discretization. In order to cover processes that are capable of performing an action at all points in a certain time interval, we introduce integration. Integration provides for alternative composition over a continuum of alternatives.KeywordsRelative TimingOperational SemanticCurrent PointParallel CompositionRelative DelayThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.