Port automata and the algebra of concurrent porcesses (Q791319)

A relatively simple and straightforward model of communicating processes is presented. The model parallels that of \textit{G. Milne} and \textit{R. Milner} [J. Assoc. Comput. Mach. 26, 302-321 (1979; Zbl 0395.68030)], but here a process (i.e. the unit of concurrent processing) is modelled by a port automaton, a certain type of nondeterministic sequential machine. To define and to compute the response of the port automaton, a theory of greatest fixpoints is applied. It is shown that using an automata- theoretic approach to concurrency, an algebraic notion of process may be defined without requiring ordered sets.