Convex powerdomains. I (Q581432)

In denotational semantics for programming languages data types have been represented by a special class of partially ordered sets called ``domains''. A powerdomain of a domain is an analog of the power set of a set. A problem that has arisen in the construction of powerdomains is that the powerdomain may not be back in the class of domains under consideration. In this paper the author uses a completion via Frink ideals to define a convex powerdomain so that a continuous lattice is obtained if one begins with a continuous lattice. This construction is shown to be functorial and limit preserving; hence one can solve domain equations in which it occurs. Analogous results hold for algebraic lattices and bounded complete algebraic cpo's.