On the Algebra of Feedback and Systems with Boundary

Author

Piergiulio Katis, N. Sabadini and R.F.C. Walters

Status

Research Report 99-16
Date: 1 July 1999
To appear in Rendiconti del Seminario Matematico di Palermo

Abstract

The notion of a category-with-feedback is introduced and two main classes of examples, constructed from input-feedback-output systems and spans of graphs, are described in detail. After surveying a range of applications to computer science, we concentrate on two new examples of the algebra: continuous linear systems, which includes a model of RLC circuits; and a formalization of double-entry accounting and other systems satisfying the continuity equation.

Key phrases

monoidal category. bicategory. feedback. concurrency. systems theory.

AMS Subject Classification (1991)

Primary: 18B20
Secondary: 68Q10, 18D05, 18D10, 93A05

Content

The paper is available in the following forms:

PostScript:: 1999-16.ps.gz (206kB) or 1999-16.ps (539kB)

To minimize network load, please choose the smaller gzipped .gz form if and only if your browser client supports it.

Sydney Mathematics and Statistics