Mobile computation with functions (Q1612677)

This book deals with models for functional mobile computing. The author, recognizing the important advances in mobile computing and communication, considers that there is a gap between the theoretical models for mobile computing and the systems implemented sofar. In this respect, he advocates for a fully featured mobile computation language. The foundation of this new language is, in the author's view, the set of functional languages. The book consists of the author's research results during his PhD studies. It is composed of 6 chapters, most of them dedicated to important issues of mobile computing like heterogeneity and security. The first chapter deals with process calculi as the basis for concurrent and distributed computing. Concurrent, Facile and PLAN is described in some details. Chapter 2 investigates the potential of a Facile like language for mobility. The next chapter covers the same aspect by using PLAN. PLAN is attractive as it uses a remote evaluation facility for functions. Chapter 4 is devoted to heterogeneity, in terms of platforms, security systems and the trust level of users, as a major feature of mobile computing. It discusses how a static type system can be used to enforce confinement in a specified mobility region. Security is discussed again in Chapter 5, and Chapter 6 concludes with the author's contributions in the field. The book is proposing a high level approach to mobile computing that might be far from design engineers' methodologies. Although elegant and appropriate for correctness proof, the model and its languages are too complex and probably not very efficient when applied. The book can be recommended as reading for PhD students working in mobile computing or formal methods.