Abstract
This paper explores the idea of using a SAT Modulo Theories (SMT) solver for proving properties of relational specifications. The goal is to automatically establish or refute consistency of a set of constraints expressed in a first-order relational logic, namely Alloy, without limiting the analysis to a bounded scope. Existing analysis of relational constraints – as performed by the Alloy Analyzer – is based on SAT solving and thus requires finitizing the set of values that each relation can take. Our technique complements this approach by axiomatizing all relational operators in a first-order SMT logic, and taking advantage of the background theories supported by SMT solvers. Consequently, it can potentially prove that a formula is a tautology – a capability completely missing from the Alloy Analyzer – and generate a counterexample when the proof fails. We also report on our experiments of applying this technique to various systems specified in Alloy.
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El Ghazi, A.A., Taghdiri, M. (2011). Relational Reasoning via SMT Solving. In: Butler, M., Schulte, W. (eds) FM 2011: Formal Methods. FM 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 6664. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21437-0_12
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