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A Formal Language for Cryptographic Pseudocode

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Logic for Programming, Artificial Intelligence, and Reasoning (LPAR 2008)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 5330))

Abstract

Game-based cryptographic proofs are typically expressed using pseudocode, which lacks a formal semantics. This can lead to ambiguous specifications, hidden mistakes, and even wrong proofs. We propose a language for expressing proofs that is expressive enough to specify all constructs occurring in cryptographic games, including probabilistic behaviors, the usage of oracles, and polynomial-time programs. The language is a probabilistic higher-order lambda calculus with recursive types, references, and support for events, and is simple enough that researchers without a strong background in the theory of programming languages can understand it. The language has been implemented in the proof assistant Isabelle/HOL.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany

    Michael Backes, Matthias Berg & Dominique Unruh

  2. MPI-SWS, Germany

    Michael Backes

Authors
  1. Michael Backes
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  2. Matthias Berg
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  3. Dominique Unruh
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Carnegie Mellon University, Doha, Qatar

    Iliano Cervesato

  2. Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany

    Helmut Veith

  3. University of Manchester, UK

    Andrei Voronkov

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© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Backes, M., Berg, M., Unruh, D. (2008). A Formal Language for Cryptographic Pseudocode. In: Cervesato, I., Veith, H., Voronkov, A. (eds) Logic for Programming, Artificial Intelligence, and Reasoning. LPAR 2008. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 5330. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-89439-1_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-89439-1_26

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-89438-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-89439-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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