A demand-driven set-based analysis

In this paper we present an analysis technique for isolating dead code in higher-order functional programs. First, we formalize what it means for a program fragment to contribute to the value returned by the program. Next, we provide a purely declarative specification of a subset of terms which constitute dead code. This is done by a refinement of the set-based semantics technique, developed by Nevin Heintze, by the introduction of a concept of demand. We then develop a demand-driven set-based analysis to compute dead code specified by the declarative specification. The demand-driven set-based analysis developed in this paper is polynomial time, in the size of the input program.

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