> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://isubasinghe.gitbook.io/isithas-wiki/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://isubasinghe.gitbook.io/isithas-wiki/computer_science/programming_language_theory/optimisations/liveness.md).

# Liveness

## Basic idea

A variable is *live* at a program point if its current value may be used along some path before being overwritten. Backward data-flow analysis: drives register allocation and dead-store elimination.

## Key formulas

* $\mathrm{live\_in}\[B] = \mathrm{use}\[B]\ \cup\ (\mathrm{live\_out}\[B] \setminus \mathrm{def}\[B])$
* $\mathrm{live\_out}\[B] = \bigcup\_{S \in \mathrm{succ}(B)} \mathrm{live\_in}\[S]$
* Lattice: subsets of variables, ordered by $\subseteq$; join is union.


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