PegaSys and the role of logic in programming environments

Abstract

The benefits of formal approaches to program development are widely recognized. However, most programming environments have taken little advantage of them. The problem of incorporating formalism into programming environments is discussed in light of two often-competing concerns: maintaining mathematical rigor and alleviating complication in the programming of large systems. The PegaSys system [1,2] represents a practical balance between the two. It deals with an interesting class of program properties that are easy to describe formally and to reason about mechanically. Systems such as PegaSys offer the possibility of increased use of formal methods in programming environments.

This research was supported by the Office of Naval Research under Contract N00014-83-C-0300.