Concurrent systems

The advent of concurrent systems undoubtedly promises greatly increased processing power. These systems, however, are inherently complex and present many new problems at both the design and implementation phases. Appropriate specification, design and implementation methods are required, which will facilitate the development of such systems. Techniques based on formal methods, such as the language of CSP (Communicating Sequential Processes) have proven to be the most successful means of conquering complexity in the specification of concurrent, embedded, real-time and distributed systems. Concurrent Systems: Formal Development in CSP offers an up-to-date and practical treatment of this important subject. The basis of the text is the combination of a tutorial approach with convenient reference material. Beginning with a clear introduction to CSP, the book goes on to provide a comprehensive listing of the laws of CSP and describes the more important variants of the language. An illustrative case study, based on the verification of a network protocol, forms a central part of the book and practical implementation in both Occam and Ada 9X is discussed in depth. This book represents a significant, student-friendly contribution to the teaching of CSP. Its example-based, but rigorous approach makes it ideal for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in concurrency, formal methods, distributed and real-time systems. Special features include: A tutorial introduction combined with comprehensive reference material, coverage of the most important variants of CSP, a fully annotated select bibliography, and implementation details in Occam and Ada 9X.