Deadlocks and dihomotopy in mutual exclusion models

• Published in: Theoretical computer science Vol. 365; no. 3; pp. 247 - 257
• Main Author: RAUSSEN, Martin
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 12.11.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Algebraic topology; Algorithmics. Computability. Computer arithmetics; Applied sciences; Automata. Abstract machines. Turing machines; Computer science; control theory; systems; Deadlock detection; Dihomotopy; Exact sciences and technology; Mathematics; Mutual exclusion; Sciences and techniques of general use; Theoretical computing; Topology. Manifolds and cell complexes. Global analysis and analysis on manifolds; Dihomotopy; Mutual exclusion; Deadlock detection; Deadlock; Homotopy theory; Automaton; Computer theory; Concurrency; Fast algorithm
• ISSN: 0304-3975; 1879-2294
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tcs.2006.07.052

Higher dimensional automata (HDA) represent a promising tool for modelling (“true”) concurrency in a both combinatorial and topological framework. Within these models, fast algorithms investigating deadlocks and unreachable regions have been devised previously on a background of easily understandable “directed” geometric ideas. In this article, we modify notions and methods from homotopy theory to define and investigate “essentially different” schedules in a HDA and to detect whether two given runs are essentially different using an algorithm again based on “directed geometry”.