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Volume 2, Issue 5
2006
1. Semantics of Separation-Logic Typing and Higher-order Frame Rules for Algol-like Languages
We show how to give a coherent semantics to programs that are well-specified in a version of separation logic for a language with higher types: idealized algol extended with heaps (but with immutable stack variables). In particular, we provide simple sound rules for deriving higher-order frame rules, allowing for local reasoning.
2. Linear Abadi and Plotkin Logic
We present a formalization of a version of Abadi and Plotkin's logic for parametricity for a polymorphic dual intuitionistic/linear type theory with fixed points, and show, following Plotkin's suggestions, that it can be used to define a wide collection of types, including existential types, inductive types, coinductive types and general recursive types. We show that the recursive types satisfy a universal property called dinaturality, and we develop reasoning principles for the constructed types. In the case of recursive types, the reasoning principle is a mixed induction/coinduction principle, with the curious property that coinduction holds for general relations, but induction only for a limited collection of ``admissible'' relations. A similar property was observed in Pitts' 1995 analysis of recursive types in domain theory. In a future paper we will develop a category theoretic notion of models of the logic presented here, and show how the results developed in the logic can be transferred to the models.
3. The Completeness of Propositional Resolution: A Simple and Constructive Proof
It is well known that the resolution method (for propositional logic) is complete. However, completeness proofs found in the literature use an argument by contradiction showing that if a set of clauses is unsatisfiable, then it must have a resolution refutation. As a consequence, none of these proofs actually gives an algorithm for producing a resolution refutation from an unsatisfiable set of clauses. In this note, we give a simple and constructive proof of the completeness of propositional resolution which consists of an algorithm together with a proof of its correctness.
4. Elgot Algebras
Denotational semantics can be based on algebras with additional structure (order, metric, etc.) which makes it possible to interpret recursive specifications. It was the idea of Elgot to base denotational semantics on iterative theories instead, i.e., theories in which abstract recursive specifications are required to have unique solutions. Later Bloom and Esik studied iteration theories and iteration algebras in which a specified solution has to obey certain axioms. We propose so-called Elgot algebras as a convenient structure for semantics in the present paper. An Elgot algebra is an algebra with a specified solution for every system of flat recursive equations. That specification satisfies two simple and well motivated axioms: functoriality (stating that solutions are stable under renaming of recursion variables) and compositionality (stating how to perform simultaneous recursion). These two axioms stem canonically from Elgot's iterative theories: We prove that the category of Elgot algebras is the Eilenberg-Moore category of the monad given by a free iterative theory.
5. Linear Encodings of Bounded LTL Model Checking
We consider the problem of bounded model checking (BMC) for linear temporal logic (LTL). We present several efficient encodings that have size linear in the bound. Furthermore, we show how the encodings can be extended to LTL with past operators (PLTL). The generalised encoding is still of linear size, but cannot detect minimal length counterexamples. By using the virtual unrolling technique minimal length counterexamples can be captured, however, the size of the encoding is quadratic in the specification. We also extend virtual unrolling to Buchi automata, enabling them to accept minimal length counterexamples. Our BMC encodings can be made incremental in order to benefit from incremental SAT technology. With fairly small modifications the incremental encoding can be further enhanced with a termination check, allowing us to prove properties with BMC. Experiments clearly show that our new encodings improve performance of BMC considerably, particularly in the case of the incremental encoding, and that they are very competitive for finding bugs. An analysis of the liveness-to-safety transformation reveals many similarities to the BMC encodings in this paper. Using the liveness-to-safety translation with BDD-based invariant checking results in an efficient method to find shortest counterexamples that complements the BMC-based approach.