2,692 research outputs found
Constraint-based reachability
Iterative imperative programs can be considered as infinite-state systems
computing over possibly unbounded domains. Studying reachability in these
systems is challenging as it requires to deal with an infinite number of states
with standard backward or forward exploration strategies. An approach that we
call Constraint-based reachability, is proposed to address reachability
problems by exploring program states using a constraint model of the whole
program. The keypoint of the approach is to interpret imperative constructions
such as conditionals, loops, array and memory manipulations with the
fundamental notion of constraint over a computational domain. By combining
constraint filtering and abstraction techniques, Constraint-based reachability
is able to solve reachability problems which are usually outside the scope of
backward or forward exploration strategies. This paper proposes an
interpretation of classical filtering consistencies used in Constraint
Programming as abstract domain computations, and shows how this approach can be
used to produce a constraint solver that efficiently generates solutions for
reachability problems that are unsolvable by other approaches.Comment: In Proceedings Infinity 2012, arXiv:1302.310
Precise Goal-Independent Abstract Interpretation of Constraint Logic Programs
AbstractWe present a goal-independent abstract interpretation framework for pure constraint logic programs, and prove the sufficiency of a set of conditions for abstract domains to ensure that the analysis will never lose precision. Along the way, we formally define pure constraint logic programming systems, give a formal semantics that is independent of the actual constraint domain, and formally define the maximally precise abstraction of a pure constraint logic program
Abstracting soft constraints: framework, properties, examples
Soft constraints are very and expressive. However, they also are very complex to handle. For this reason, it may be reasonable in several cases to pass to an abstract version of a given soft constraint problem, and then to bring some useful information from the abstract problem to the concrete one. This will hopefully make the search for a solution, or for an optimal solution, of the concrete problem, faster. In this paper we propose an abstraction scheme for soft constraint problems and we study its main properties. We show that processing the abstracted version of a soft constraint problem can help us in finding good approximations of the optimal solutions, or also in obtaining information that can make the subsequent search for the best solution easier. We also show how the abstraction scheme can be used to devise new hybrid algorithms for solving soft constraint problems, and also to import constraint propagation algorithms from the abstract scenario to the concrete one. This may be useful when we don\u27t have any (or any efficient) propagation algorithm in the concrete setting
Abstract Interpretation-based verification/certification in the ciaoPP system
CiaoPP is the abstract interpretation-based preprocessor of
the Ciao multi-paradigm (Constraint) Logic Programming system. It uses modular, incremental abstract interpretation as a fundamental tool to obtain information about programs. In CiaoPP, the semantic approximations thus produced have been applied to perform high- and low-level optimizations during program compilation, including transformations such as mĂşltiple abstract specialization, parallelization, partial evaluation, resource usage control, and program verification. More recently, novel and promising applications of such semantic approximations are
being applied in the more general context of program development such as program verification. In this work, we describe our extensiĂłn of the system to incorpĂłrate Abstraction-Carrying Code (ACC), a novel approach to mobile code safety. ACC follows the standard strategy of associating safety certificates to programs, originally proposed in Proof Carrying- Code. A distinguishing feature of ACC is that we use an abstraction (or abstract model) of the program computed by standard static analyzers as a certifĂcate. The validity of the abstraction on the consumer side is checked in a single-pass by a very efficient and specialized abstractinterpreter. We have implemented and benchmarked ACC within CiaoPP. The experimental results show that the checking phase is indeed faster than the proof generation phase, and that the sizes of certificates are reasonable. Moreover, the preprocessor is based on compile-time (and run-time) tools for the certification of CLP programs with resource consumption assurances
Bug Hunting with False Negatives Revisited
Safe data abstractions are widely used for verification purposes. Positive verification results can be transferred from the abstract to the concrete system. When a property is violated in the abstract system, one still has to check whether a concrete violation scenario exists. However, even when the violation scenario is not reproducible in the concrete system (a false negative), it may still contain information on possible sources of bugs. Here, we propose a bug hunting framework based on abstract violation scenarios. We first extract a violation pattern from one abstract violation scenario. The violation pattern represents multiple abstract violation scenarios, increasing the chance that a corresponding concrete violation exists. Then, we look for a concrete violation that corresponds to the violation pattern by using constraint solving techniques. Finally, we define the class of counterexamples that we can handle and argue correctness of the proposed framework. Our method combines two formal techniques, model checking and constraint solving. Through an analysis of contracting and precise abstractions, we are able to integrate overapproximation by abstraction with concrete counterexample generation
A calculus for higher-order concurrent constraint programming with deep guards
We present a calculus providing an abstract operational semantics forhigher-order concurrent constraint programming. The calculus isparameterized with a first-order constraint system and provides first-class abstraction, guarded disjunction, committed-choice, deepguards, dynamic creation of unique names, and constraint communication.The calculus comes with a declarative sublanguage for which computation amounts to equivalence transformation of formulas. The declarative sublanguage can express negation. Abstractions are referred to by names, which are first-class values. This way we obtain a smooth and straight forward combination of first-order constraints with higher-order programming. Constraint communication is asynchronous and exploits the presence of logic variables. It provides a notion of state that is fully compatible with constraints and concurrency. The calculus serves as the semantic basis of Oz, a programming language and system under development at DFKI
Enhancing Predicate Pairing with Abstraction for Relational Verification
Relational verification is a technique that aims at proving properties that
relate two different program fragments, or two different program runs. It has
been shown that constrained Horn clauses (CHCs) can effectively be used for
relational verification by applying a CHC transformation, called predicate
pairing, which allows the CHC solver to infer relations among arguments of
different predicates. In this paper we study how the effects of the predicate
pairing transformation can be enhanced by using various abstract domains based
on linear arithmetic (i.e., the domain of convex polyhedra and some of its
subdomains) during the transformation. After presenting an algorithm for
predicate pairing with abstraction, we report on the experiments we have
performed on over a hundred relational verification problems by using various
abstract domains. The experiments have been performed by using the VeriMAP
transformation and verification system, together with the Parma Polyhedra
Library (PPL) and the Z3 solver for CHCs.Comment: Pre-proceedings paper presented at the 27th International Symposium
on Logic-Based Program Synthesis and Transformation (LOPSTR 2017), Namur,
Belgium, 10-12 October 2017 (arXiv:1708.07854
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