Quantified Interference for a While Language

Clark, D., Hunt, S. & Malacaria, P. (2005). Quantified Interference for a While Language. Electronic Notes in Theoretical Computer Science, 112(SPEC), pp. 149-166. doi: 10.1016/j.entcs.2004.01.018

Abstract

We show how information theory can be used to give a quantitative definition of interference between variables in imperative programming languages. In this paper we focus on a particular case of this definition of interference: leakage of information from private variables to public ones in While language programs. The major result of the paper is a quantitative analysis for this language that employs a use-definition graph to calculate bounds on the leakage into each variable.

Publication Type:	Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
Departments:	School of Science & Technology > Computer Science > Software Reliability School of Science & Technology > Computer Science