Non-Deterministic Closure Theory and Universal Arrows

Abstract

Traditional closure theory discusses the closure operations on orders with graph-theoretic methods, or the reflectors on skeletal categories with category-theoretic methods. Both approaches are confined, like most of classical mathematics, to total and deterministic operations. So traditional closure theory makes it possible to define the semantics of the while-do commands only for terminating and deterministic programming. This paper outlines a closure theory for relations which transcend totality and determinism. For the sake of conciseness, the language used is that of graph theory but the methods are category-theoretic and some hints are offered for a possible translation into the language of category theory. Our basic idea is that closure relations consist of universal arrows in the sense of category theory. The new closure theory is appropriate for defining a semantics of the while-do commands both for terminating, deterministic programming and for non-terminating, non-deterministic programming.