Shape in Computing

Abstract
Author CBJ

Abstract (position paper): Values associated with a data type usually have a shape, too. For example, the shape of a matrix is its size. Shape refers to data structures into which data can be inserted at various positions, or ``holes''. For example, the shape of a labelled graph is its underlying, unlabelled graph; that of a record is its set of field names. Shapes, like types, are important in the specification and semantics of programs, and should support tools for static error detection and improved compilation techniques. This position paper will outline the semantic underpinnings of shape theory, and suggest how it might be exploited in a variety of computational settings...