Using PVS to Prove a Z Refinement: A Case Study (1997)
| Citations: | 13 - 5 self |
BibTeX
@MISC{Stringer-Calvert97usingpvs,
author = {David W. J. Stringer-Calvert and Susan Stepney and Ian Wand},
title = {Using PVS to Prove a Z Refinement: A Case Study},
year = {1997}
}
Years of Citing Articles
Bookmark
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
OpenURL
Abstract
The development of critical systems often places undue trust in the software tools used. This is especially true of compilers, which are a weak link between the source code produced and the ob ject code which is executed. Stepney [23] advocates a method for the production of trusted compilers (i.e. those which are guaranteed to produce ob ject code that is a correct refinement of the source code) by developing a proof of a small, but non trivial compiler by hand in the Z specification language. This approach is quick, but the type system of Z is too weak to ensure that partial functions are correctly applied. Here, we present a re{working of that development using the PVS specification and verification system. We describe the problems involved in translating from the partial set theory of Z to the total, higher order logic of the PVS system and the strengths and weaknesses of this approach.
