A case study for meta-level specifications
Lecturer
Norbert Preining
JAIST, Research Center for Software Verification, Japan
Place/Time
LOPSTR 2014: Logic-Based Program Synthesis and Transformation
September 2014, Canterbury, UK.
Abstract
We provide an innovative development of algebraic specifications and proof scores in CafeOBJ by extending a base specification to the meta-level that includes infinite transition sequences. The infinite transition sequences are modeled using behavioral specifications with hidden sort, and make it possible to prove safety and liveness properties in a uniform way.
As an example of the development, we present a specification of Dijkstra’s binary semaphore, a protocol to guarantee exclusive access to a resource. For this protocol we will give three different properties, one being the mutual exclusion (or safety) property, and two more regarding different forms of liveness, which we call progress property and entrance property. These three properties are verified in a computationally uniform way (by term rewriting) based on the new
development.
Besides being a case study of modeling meta-properties in CafeOBJ, we provide an initial characterization of strength of various properties. Furthermore, this method can serve as a blue-print for other specifications, in particular those based on Abstract State Systems.