[Colloquium] Reminder: Kuan/Dissertation Defense/May 3, 2010

[Margaret Jaffey]

Please note the revised time for George Kuan's defense. It will be
held at 10:30 am.

       Department of Computer Science/The University of Chicago

                     *** Dissertation Defense ***


Candidate:  George Kuan

Date:  Monday, May 3, 2010

Time:  10:30 AM

Place:  Ryerson 251

Title: A True Higher-Order Module System

Abstract:
The ML module system is a powerful and expressive language for modular
programming and enforcing data abstraction. Several dialects of ML
have extended the module system with support for higher-order modules,
which improves support for modular programming and elevates the module
system to a full functional language. With the exception of Standard
ML of New Jersey and MLton, higher-order modules in all these dialects
do not obey natural beta-reduction semantics for higher-order functor
application (true higher-order semantics). The design space and
semantics of a true higher-order module system have not been
thoroughly explored. Most of the existing formal accounts of module
system semantics neglect true higher-order semantics by separating
higher-order functors from type generativity, which limits the
flexibility of higher-order functors. The accounts which consider
higher-order module semantics neglect to account for interactions
between higher-order modules and key core language features such as
generative datatype declarations. True higher-order semantics also
paradoxically complicates true separate compilation. In this
dissertation, I contribute (1) a novel formal account of a module
system true higher-order semantics, (2) a static entity calculus that
cleanly isolates and expresses the higher-order semantics, (3) an
exploration of the design space of higher-order module semantics
including true separate compilation and the signature calculus.

George's advisor is Prof. Dave MacQueen

Login to the Computer Science Department website for details,
including a draft copy of the dissertation:

 https://www.cs.uchicago.edu/phd/phd_announcements#gkuan

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Margaret P. Jaffey            margaret at cs.uchicago.edu
Department of Computer Science
Student Support Rep (Ry 156)               (773) 702-6011
The University of Chicago      http://www.cs.uchicago.edu
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