A generic framework for symbolic execution: A coinductive approach

We propose a language-independent symbolic execution framework. The approach is parameterised by a language definition, which consists of a signature for the syntax and execution infrastructure of the language, a model interpreting the signature, and rewrite rules for the language's operational...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of symbolic computation Vol. 80; pp. 125 - 163
Main Authors: Lucanu, Dorel, Rusu, Vlad, Arusoaie, Andrei
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2017
Elsevier
Subjects:
Circular coinduction
Computer Science
Formal operational semantics
Logic in Computer Science
Program verification
Programming language
Programming Languages
Reachability logic
Symbolic execution
Reachability logic
Programming language
Symbolic execution
Formal operational semantics
Circular coinduction
Program verification
symbolic execution
circular coinduction
formal operational semantics
programming language
program verification
reachability logic
ISSN:0747-7171, 1095-855X
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:We propose a language-independent symbolic execution framework. The approach is parameterised by a language definition, which consists of a signature for the syntax and execution infrastructure of the language, a model interpreting the signature, and rewrite rules for the language's operational semantics. Then, symbolic execution amounts to computing symbolic paths using a derivative operation. We prove that the symbolic execution thus defined has the properties naturally expected from it, meaning that the feasible symbolic executions of a program and the concrete executions of the same program mutually simulate each other. We also show how a coinduction-based extension of symbolic execution can be used for the deductive verification of programs. We show how the proposed symbolic-execution approach, and the coinductive verification technique based on it, can be seamlessly implemented in language definition frameworks based on rewriting such as the K framework. A prototype implementation of our approach has been developed in K. We illustrate it on the symbolic analysis and deductive verification of nontrivial programs.
ISSN:0747-7171
1095-855X
DOI:10.1016/j.jsc.2016.07.012