Explaining relaxed memory models with program transformations

Ori Lahav, Viktor Vafeiadis

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Weak memory models determine the behavior of concurrent programs. While they are often understood in terms of reorderings that the hardware or the compiler may perform, their formal definitions are typically given in a very different style—either axiomatic or operational. In this paper, we investigate to what extent weak behaviors of existing memory models can be fully explained in terms of reorderings and other program transformations. We prove that TSO is equivalent to a set of two local transformations over sequential consistency, but that nonmulti- copy-atomic models (such as C11, Power and ARM) cannot be explained in terms of local transformations over sequential consistency. We then show that transformations over a basic non-multi-copy-atomic model account for the relaxed behaviors of (a large fragment of) Power, but that ARM’s relaxed behaviors cannot be explained in a similar way. Our positive results may be used to simplify correctness of compilation proofs from a high-level language to TSO or Power.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationFM 2016
Subtitle of host publicationFormal Methods - 21st International Symposium, Proceedings
EditorsConstance Heitmeyer, Anna Philippou, Stefania Gnesi, John Fitzgerald
Pages479-495
Number of pages17
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016
Externally publishedYes
Event21st International Symposium on Formal Methods, FM 2016 - Limassol, Cyprus
Duration: 9 Nov 201611 Nov 2016

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume9995 LNCS

Conference

Conference21st International Symposium on Formal Methods, FM 2016
Country/TerritoryCyprus
CityLimassol
Period9/11/1611/11/16

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Theoretical Computer Science
  • General Computer Science

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