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Computer science Semantics and logic in computer science Concept

Operational semantics

Builds on Binary relation

Summary

Operational semantics gives meaning to a programming language by describing how its programs execute, as steps of an abstract machine on the program text. The steps are given by inference rules that follow the syntax of the language. In the small-step, or structural, style of Gordon Plotkin, the rules define single computation steps. In the big-step, or natural, style of Gilles Kahn, they relate a program directly to its final result. It is the standard tool for defining languages precisely and for proving properties such as type safety.

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11 pages build on this one.

Further reading

  1. Web https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_semantics
About this page
TagN8SGDCGJTW
URIm2://N8SGDCGJTW
Kindconcept
WritingW0 stub
MSC68Q55, 68N15
UsesBinary relation
Same as
Changed3 November 2026

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