termination analysis

1 definition found

termination analysis - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  termination analysis
  
     A program analysis which attempts to determine whether
     evaluation of a given expression will definitely terminate.
  
     Evaluation of a constant is bound to terminate, as is
     evaluation of a non-recursive function applied to arguments
     which are either not evaluated or which can themselves be
     proved to terminate.  A recursive function can be shown to
     terminate if it can be shown that the arguments of the
     recursive calls are bound to reach some value at which the
     recursion will cease.
  
     Termination analysis can never guarantee to give the correct
     answer because this would be equivalent to solving the
     halting problem so the answer it gives is either "definitely
     terminates" or "don't know".
  
     (1994-10-20)