On the expressiveness of multiplicities in data-based coordination languages

Abstract

Coordination languages and models have proved to be well suited to program the interaction of a wide variety of data-intensive distributed systems. Building upon previous work by the authors, this paper aims at exploring how the addition of multiplicity information to tuples increases the expressiveness of Linda-like languages. It proposes a set of languages integrating the multiplicity in different perspectives. The expressiveness hierarchy between these languages is then studied through the notion of modular embedding proposed by De Boer and Palamidessi. Complementing these theoretical study, considerations on the implementation are drawn, which attest that the more expressive a language is, the more expensive is its implementation.