We present formalized proofs verifying that the first-order unification
algorithm defined over lists of satisfiable constraints generates a most
general unifier (MGU), which also happens to be idempotent. All of our proofs
have been formalized in the Coq theorem prover. Our proofs show that finite
maps produced by the unification algorithm provide a model of the axioms
characterizing idempotent MGUs of lists of constraints. The axioms that serve
as the basis for our verification are derived from a standard set by extending
them to lists of constraints. For us, constraints are equalities between terms
in the language of simple types. Substitutions are formally modeled as finite
maps using the Coq library Coq.FSets.FMapInterface. Coq's method of functional
induction is the main proof technique used in proving many of the axioms.Comment: In Proceedings UNIF 2010, arXiv:1012.455
