Title: Memory Models for Programming Languages

Abstract:

While memory models have received much attention in the computer architecture
community, they have received very little attention in the 
programming language and compiler community. Very few programming 
language specifications describe
a memory consistency model. Compiler optimizations violate the rules 
of some memory models. Very weak memory models are not appropriate, 
because they do not
specify the semantics of incorrectly synchronized programs. Since 
programs could be deliberately incorrectly synchronized in order to 
attach the security of a system, their semantics must be well defined.
   The Java programming language did provide a memory model, but that 
model has proven to be fatally flawed. I will discuss some of the 
issues in memory models for programming languages and efforts to 
devise a new memory model for Java.