53,028 research outputs found
Results on formal stepwise design in Z
Stepwise design involves the process of deriving a concrete model of a software system from a given abstract one. This process is sometimes known as refinement. There are numerous refinement theories proposed in the literature, each of which stipulates the nature of the relationship between an abstract specification and its concrete counterpart. This paper considers six refinement theories in Z that have been proposed by various people over the years. However, no systematic investigation of these theories, or results on the relationships between them, have been presented or published before. This paper shows that these theories fall into two important categories and proves that the theories in each category are equivalent
A robust semantics hides fewer errors
In this paper we explore how formal models are interpreted and to what degree meaning is captured in the formal semantics and to what degree it remains in the informal interpretation of the semantics. By applying a robust approach to the definition of refinement and semantics, favoured by the event-based community, to state-based theory we are able to move some aspects from the informal interpretation into the formal semantics
Recursive Program Optimization Through Inductive Synthesis Proof Transformation
The research described in this paper involved developing transformation techniques which increase the efficiency of the noriginal program, the source, by transforming its synthesis proof into one, the target, which yields a computationally more efficient algorithm. We describe a working proof transformation system which, by exploiting the duality between mathematical induction and recursion, employs the novel strategy of optimizing recursive programs by transforming inductive proofs. We compare and contrast this approach with the more traditional approaches to program transformation, and highlight the benefits of proof transformation with regards to search, correctness, automatability and generality
Abstract State Machines 1988-1998: Commented ASM Bibliography
An annotated bibliography of papers which deal with or use Abstract State
Machines (ASMs), as of January 1998.Comment: Also maintained as a BibTeX file at http://www.eecs.umich.edu/gasm
Automated Generation of User Guidance by Combining Computation and Deduction
Herewith, a fairly old concept is published for the first time and named
"Lucas Interpretation". This has been implemented in a prototype, which has
been proved useful in educational practice and has gained academic relevance
with an emerging generation of educational mathematics assistants (EMA) based
on Computer Theorem Proving (CTP).
Automated Theorem Proving (ATP), i.e. deduction, is the most reliable
technology used to check user input. However ATP is inherently weak in
automatically generating solutions for arbitrary problems in applied
mathematics. This weakness is crucial for EMAs: when ATP checks user input as
incorrect and the learner gets stuck then the system should be able to suggest
possible next steps.
The key idea of Lucas Interpretation is to compute the steps of a calculation
following a program written in a novel CTP-based programming language, i.e.
computation provides the next steps. User guidance is generated by combining
deduction and computation: the latter is performed by a specific language
interpreter, which works like a debugger and hands over control to the learner
at breakpoints, i.e. tactics generating the steps of calculation. The
interpreter also builds up logical contexts providing ATP with the data
required for checking user input, thus combining computation and deduction.
The paper describes the concepts underlying Lucas Interpretation so that open
questions can adequately be addressed, and prerequisites for further work are
provided.Comment: In Proceedings THedu'11, arXiv:1202.453
Addressing performance requirements in the FDT-based design of distributed systems
The development of distributed systems is generally regarded as a complex and costly task, and for this reason formal description techniques such as LOTOS and ESTELLE (both standardized by the ISO) are increasingly used in this process. Our experience is that LOTOS can be exploited at many stages on the design trajectory, from requirements specification to implementation, but that the language elements do not allow direct formalization of performance requirements. To avoid duplication of effort by using two formalisms with distinct approaches, we propose a design method that incorporates performance constraints in an heuristic but effective manner
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