Second-Order Functions and Theorems in ACL2

SOFT ('Second-Order Functions and Theorems') is a tool to mimic second-order functions and theorems in the first-order logic of ACL2. Second-order functions are mimicked by first-order functions that reference explicitly designated uninterpreted functions that mimic function variables. First-order theorems over these second-order functions mimic second-order theorems universally quantified over function variables. Instances of second-order functions and theorems are systematically generated by replacing function variables with functions. SOFT can be used to carry out program refinement inside ACL2, by constructing a sequence of increasingly stronger second-order predicates over one or more target functions: the sequence starts with a predicate that specifies requirements for the target functions, and ends with a predicate that provides executable definitions for the target functions.Comment: In Proceedings ACL2 2015, arXiv:1509.0552

A Macro for Reusing Abstract Functions and Theorems

Even though the ACL2 logic is first order, the ACL2 system offers several mechanisms providing users with some operations akin to higher order logic ones. In this paper, we propose a macro, named instance-of-defspec, to ease the reuse of abstract functions and facts proven about them. Defspec is an ACL2 book allowing users to define constrained functions and their associated properties. It contains macros facilitating the definition of such abstract specifications and instances thereof. Currently, lemmas and theorems derived from these abstract functions are not automatically instantiated. This is exactly the purpose of our new macro. instance-of-defspec will not only instantiate functions and theorems within a specification but also many more functions and theorems built on top of the specification. As a working example, we describe various fold functions over monoids, which we gradually built from arbitrary functions