Formalising Mathematics in Simple Type Theory

Despite the considerable interest in new dependent type theories, simple type theory (which dates from 1940) is sufficient to formalise serious topics in mathematics. This point is seen by examining formal proofs of a theorem about stereographic projections. A formalisation using the HOL Light proof assistant is contrasted with one using Isabelle/HOL. Harrison's technique for formalising Euclidean spaces is contrasted with an approach using Isabelle/HOL's axiomatic type classes. However, every formal system can be outgrown, and mathematics should be formalised with a view that it will eventually migrate to a new formalism

Applying formal methods to standard development: the open distributed processing experience

Since their introduction, formal methods have been applied in various ways to different standards. This paper gives an account of these applications, focusing on one application in particular: the development of a framework for creating standards for Open Distributed Processing (ODP). Following an introduction to ODP, the paper gives an insight into the current work on formalising the architecture of the Reference Model of ODP (RM-ODP), highlighting the advantages to be gained. The different approaches currently being taken are shown, together with their associated advantages and disadvantages. The paper concludes that there is no one all-purpose approach which can be used in preference to all others, but that a combination of approaches is desirable to best fulfil the potential of formal methods in developing an architectural semantics for OD

Inductive and Coinductive Components of Corecursive Functions in Coq

In Constructive Type Theory, recursive and corecursive definitions are subject to syntactic restrictions which guarantee termination for recursive functions and productivity for corecursive functions. However, many terminating and productive functions do not pass the syntactic tests. Bove proposed in her thesis an elegant reformulation of the method of accessibility predicates that widens the range of terminative recursive functions formalisable in Constructive Type Theory. In this paper, we pursue the same goal for productive corecursive functions. Notably, our method of formalisation of coinductive definitions of productive functions in Coq requires not only the use of ad-hoc predicates, but also a systematic algorithm that separates the inductive and coinductive parts of functions.Comment: Dans Coalgebraic Methods in Computer Science (2008

Theorem of three circles in Coq

The theorem of three circles in real algebraic geometry guarantees the termination and correctness of an algorithm of isolating real roots of a univariate polynomial. The main idea of its proof is to consider polynomials whose roots belong to a certain area of the complex plane delimited by straight lines. After applying a transformation involving inversion this area is mapped to an area delimited by circles. We provide a formalisation of this rather geometric proof in Ssreflect, an extension of the proof assistant Coq, providing versatile algebraic tools. They allow us to formalise the proof from an algebraic point of view.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figure

Applying G\"odel's Dialectica Interpretation to Obtain a Constructive Proof of Higman's Lemma

We use G\"odel's Dialectica interpretation to analyse Nash-Williams' elegant but non-constructive "minimal bad sequence" proof of Higman's Lemma. The result is a concise constructive proof of the lemma (for arbitrary decidable well-quasi-orders) in which Nash-Williams' combinatorial idea is clearly present, along with an explicit program for finding an embedded pair in sequences of words.Comment: In Proceedings CL&C 2012, arXiv:1210.289

Informal proof, formal proof, formalism

Increases in the use of automated theorem-provers have renewed focus on the relationship between the informal proofs normally found in mathematical research and fully formalised derivations. Whereas some claim that any correct proof will be underwritten by a fully formal proof, sceptics demur. In this paper I look at the relevance of these issues for formalism, construed as an anti-platonistic metaphysical doctrine. I argue that there are strong reasons to doubt that all proofs are fully formalisable, if formal proofs are required to be finitary, but that, on a proper view of the way in which formal proofs idealise actual practice, this restriction is unjustified and formalism is not threatened

Coinductive Formal Reasoning in Exact Real Arithmetic

In this article we present a method for formally proving the correctness of the lazy algorithms for computing homographic and quadratic transformations -- of which field operations are special cases-- on a representation of real numbers by coinductive streams. The algorithms work on coinductive stream of M\"{o}bius maps and form the basis of the Edalat--Potts exact real arithmetic. We use the machinery of the Coq proof assistant for the coinductive types to present the formalisation. The formalised algorithms are only partially productive, i.e., they do not output provably infinite streams for all possible inputs. We show how to deal with this partiality in the presence of syntactic restrictions posed by the constructive type theory of Coq. Furthermore we show that the type theoretic techniques that we develop are compatible with the semantics of the algorithms as continuous maps on real numbers. The resulting Coq formalisation is available for public download.Comment: 40 page