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Verification of programs with procedure-type parameters

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Summary

A verification system is developed for proving the correctness of programs containing procedures with procedure-type parameters. The system, which reduces programs and their specifications to assertions to be proved in ordinary logic, is shown to be logically sound. The reduction process is controlled by the syntax of the program and is completely mechanical, requiring no human intervention. The resulting assertions involve higher-order predicates, but they engender no significant difficulties which are not already present in ordinary first-order theories.

Our system views the intermediate objects in the reduction process as extended programs, thereby making verification a much less abstruse process. Treating logical assertions as commands appeals strongly to a programmer's intuition.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Engineering and Science Department, Case Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, 44106, Cleveland, OH, USA

    George W. Ernst

  2. Mathematical Sciences Department, Florida International University, 33199, Miami, FL, USA

    Jainendra K. Navlakha

  3. Computer and Information Science Department, Ohio State University, 43210, Columbus, OH, USA

    William F. Ogden

Authors
  1. George W. Ernst
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  2. Jainendra K. Navlakha
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  3. William F. Ogden
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Additional information

This research was partially supported by the National Science Foundation under grant MCS77-24236

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Ernst, G.W., Navlakha, J.K. & Ogden, W.F. Verification of programs with procedure-type parameters. Acta Informatica 18, 149–169 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00264436

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00264436

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