Properties of Program Analysis Techniques

A number of diierent semantics-based program analysis techniques, such as abstract interpretation, projection-based analyses and type inference, have been developed by various people. How can they be compared? In answering this question, we have found it particularly fruitful to focus on the properties that an analysis can manipulate, and how these properties can be combined. We demonstrate the value of this methodology by clarifying the relationship between abstract interpretation and projection-based analyses; giving an explanation of why the tensor product arises in abstract interpretation ; and gaining some insight into the problems caused by higher-order functions. Furthermore, our investigations suggest ner classii-cations of particular abstract interpretations than those given by the terms independent attribute method and re-lational method.