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An automated reasoning problem associated with proving claims about programs using Floyd-Hoare inductive assertion methods

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Abstract

Proving claims about behavior of software is essential for the qualification of computer-based systems used in the control of nuclear reactors. For this Problem Corner, we select one of the verification conditions for a C program that initializes an array to zero. We add assertions about the initial conditions and state of the program and about the expected behavior of the program in terms of its state. The modeling and specification technique is the inductive assertion technique of Floyd-Hoare. The program with assertions is then transformed by the source-to-source program transformation system TAMPR into a set of separate verification conditions to be proven by the automated reasoning system. Our experience with this program demonstrates the typical automated reasoning problems we have encountered and illustrates how we have approached solutions to the problems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Experimental Breeder Reactor No. II Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 60439, Argonne, IL, U.S.A.

    G. H. Chisholm

  2. Argonne National Laboratory, 87131, Albuquerque, NM, U.S.A.

    B. T. Smith

  3. The University of New Mexico, 87131, Albuquerque, NM, U.S.A.

    B. T. Smith

  4. Argonne National Laboratory, 48824, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A.

    A. S. Wojcik

  5. Michigan State University, 48824, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A.

    A. S. Wojcik

Authors
  1. G. H. Chisholm
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  2. B. T. Smith
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  3. A. S. Wojcik
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Additional information

Work supported by the Civilian Reactor Development Program and the Applied Mathematical Sciences Research subprogram of the Office of Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy, under Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38.

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Chisholm, G.H., Smith, B.T. & Wojcik, A.S. An automated reasoning problem associated with proving claims about programs using Floyd-Hoare inductive assertion methods. J Autom Reasoning 5, 533–540 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00243137

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00243137

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