DOI: 10.1145/321992.321996 ISSN:
A Transformation System for Developing Recursive Programs
R. M. Burstall, John Darlington- Artificial Intelligence
- Hardware and Architecture
- Information Systems
- Control and Systems Engineering
- Software
A system of rules for transforming programs is described, with the programs in the form of recursion equations. An initially very simple, lucid, and hopefully correct program is transformed into a more efficient one by altering the recursion structure. Illustrative examples of program transformations are given, and a tentative implementation is described. Alternative structures for programs are shown, and a possible initial phase for an automatic or semiautomatic program-manipulation system is indicated.