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Axiomatic Concurrency Model

Concept

An axiomatic concurrency model specifies the legal behaviors of concurrent memory operations on an instruction set architecture (ISA) as a set of constraints over candidate executions (typically relations such as program order, reads-from, and coherence order), rather than as an executable operational simulation. In the hardware-formal-methods literature, axiomatic concurrency models are central to specifying relaxed-memory behavior of real architectures such as ARMv8, POWER, and x86, and to integrating full-scale ISA semantics with memory-model checking tools.

First seen 7/3/2026
Last seen 7/3/2026
Evidence 4 chunks
Wiki v1

WIKI

Axiomatic Concurrency Model

Overview

An axiomatic concurrency model is a declarative specification of the concurrent behavior of an instruction set architecture. Instead of describing how a processor executes step by step (as in an operational model), an axiomatic model characterizes which candidate executions of a program are allowed by defining relations—such as program order (po), reads-from (rf), coherence order (co), from-reads (fr), and memory order—and stating constraints that these relations must satisfy.

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RELATIONSHIPS

5 connections
Isla ISA Semantics Tool ← uses 97% 1e
Isla integrates ISA semantics with axiomatic concurrency models.
Isla integrates full-scale ISA semantics with axiomatic concurrency models.
The paper operationally models ARMv8 concurrency.
The paper introduces a simplified axiomatic concurrency model for ARMv8.
Axiomatic Hardware-Software Contracts ← implements 88% 1e
Axiomatic hardware-software contracts build on axiomatic concurrency model concepts.

CITATIONS

5 sources
5 citations — click to expand
[1] An axiomatic concurrency model specifies concurrent memory behavior as constraints over candidate executions expressed via relations such as program order, reads-from, and coherence order. ISA specification related work notes
[2] Pulte et al. (POPL 2017) introduced a multicopy-atomic axiomatic concurrency model (alongside an operational model) for ARMv8. ISA specification related work notes
[3] Flur et al. (POPL 2016) provided the operational modelling of ARMv8 concurrency on top of which later axiomatic models are derived. ISA specification related work notes
[4] Armstrong et al. (CAV 2021) integrated full-scale ISA semantics with an axiomatic concurrency model in the Isla framework. ISA specification related work notes
[5] Axiomatic hardware–software contracts use axiomatic-style specifications to formalize the interface between hardware and software, including security properties. ISA specification related work notes