University of Ulm, Faculty of Computer Science, Dept. of Artificial Intelligence up: Dept. of AI

ASM-Based Mechanized Verification of Compiler Backends

Axel Dold, Thilo Gaul, Vincent Vialard, Wolf Zimmermann

Proc. of the 5th International Workshop on Abstract State Machines,
Magdeburg, Germany, September 21-22, 1998.


 Abstract

We describe an approach to mechanically prove the correctness of BURS specifications and show how such a tool can be connected with BURS based back-end generators. The proofs are based on an operational semantics of both source and target system languages specified by means of Abstract State Machines (ASM's).

The correctness condition based on these operational semantics is decomposed into local correctness conditions for each BURS rule and the rules can be proved independently. The specification and verification system PVS is used to mechanically verify BURS-rules based on formal representations of the languages involved. In particular, we have defined PVS proof strategies which enable an automatic verification of the rules. Using PVS, several erroneous rules have been found. Moreover, from failed proof attempts we were able to correct them.


 
 Online Copy

Postscript (283 KB)


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