Simulations in Coalgebra

Abstract

A new approach to simulations is proposed within the theory of coalgebras by taking a notion of order on a functor as primitive. Such an order forms a basic building block for a “lax relation lifting”, or “relator” as used by other authors. Simulations appear as coalgebras of this lifted functor, and similarity as greatest simulation. Two-way similarity is then similarity in both directions. In general, it is different from bisimilarity (in the usual coalgebraic sense), but a sufficient condition is formulated (and illustrated) to ensure that bisimilarity and two-way similarity coincide. Also, a distributive law is identified which ensures that similarity on a final coalgebra forms a dcpo structure.