Abstract
In this paper we sketch an ACL2-checked proof that a simple but unbounded Von Neumann machine model is Turing Complete, i.e., can do anything a Turing machine can do. The project formally revisits the roots of computer science. It requires re-familiarizing oneself with the definitive model of computation from the 1930s, dealing with a simple “modern” machine model, thinking carefully about the formal statement of an important theorem and the specification of both total and partial programs, writing a verifying compiler, including implementing an X86-like call/return protocol and implementing computed jumps, codifying a code proof strategy, and a little “creative” reasoning about the non-termination of two machines.
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Moore, J.S. (2014). Proof Pearl: Proving a Simple Von Neumann Machine Turing Complete. In: Klein, G., Gamboa, R. (eds) Interactive Theorem Proving. ITP 2014. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 8558. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08970-6_26
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08970-6_26
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
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