The design of formal languages
The aim of the thesis is to develop a framework to support the design of formal languages. The thesis consists of two parts. The first part attempts to develop a conception of formal language design. The conception considers the nature of formal languages and acts as a specification for a framework to support the design of formal languages. The second part develops the formal aspects of such a framework. The first part considers the nature of formality and the nature of disciplines. Formality is considered in terms of different philosophies of mathematics, it illustrates how these different philosophies give rise to different notions of formality, and leads finally to a strongly relativistic definition of formal language. The nature of disciplines is considered in terms of philosophies of science resulting in the definition of a generic engineering conception of design disciplines. The definition of formal language is used to instantiate the generic engineering conception resulting in the conception of formal language design. The basis of the framework that forms the second part of the thesis is the Z notation enriched with Category theory. This notation is used to instantiate the conception outlined in the
Salter, Ian
Engineering; Syntax; Conception
The design of formal languages. The aim of the thesis is to develop a framework to support the design of formal languages. The thesis consists of two parts. The first part attempts to develop a conception of formal language design. The conception considers the nature of formal languages and acts as a specification for a framework to support the design of formal languages. The second part develops the formal aspects of such a framework. The first part considers the nature of formality and the nature of disciplines. Formality is considered in terms of different philosophies of mathematics, it illustrates how these different philosophies give rise to different notions of formality, and leads finally to a strongly relativistic definition of formal language. The nature of disciplines is considered in terms of philosophies of science resulting in the definition of a generic engineering conception of design disciplines. The definition of formal language is used to instantiate the generic engineering conception resulting in the conception of formal language design. The basis of the framework that forms the second part of the thesis is the Z notation enriched with Category theory. This notation is used to instantiate the conception outlined in the
design formal_language aim_develop framework support design formal_language consists two_part first_part attempt_develop conception formal_language design conception considers_nature formal_language act specification framework support design formal_language second_part develop formal aspect framework first_part considers_nature formality nature discipline formality consider_term different philosophy_mathematics illustrate different philosophy give_rise different notion formality lead finally strongly definition formal_language nature discipline consider_term philosophy_science result definition generic engineering conception design discipline definition formal_language use instantiate generic engineering conception result conception formal_language design basis framework form second_part notation enrich category theory notation use instantiate conception outline