# A Theory of Reversibility for Erlang

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.07100 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.07100/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 19 Jun 2018.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [A Reversible Semantics for Janus](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.16913/) (2026)
- [On Weak Bisimilarities in CCSK](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.11531/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In a reversible language, any forward computation can be undone by a finite sequence of backward steps. Reversible computing has been studied in the context of different programming languages and formalisms, where it has been used for testing and verification, among others. In this paper, we consider a subset of Erlang, a functional and concurrent programming language based on the actor model. We present a formal semantics for reversible computation in this language and prove its main properties, including its causal consistency. We also build on top of it a rollback operator that can be used to undo the actions of a process up to a given checkpoint.