The Relationship between Separation Logic and Implicit Dynamic Frames

DOI10.1007/978-3-642-19718-5_23zbMATH Open1326.68104arXiv1203.6859OpenAlexW1522925810MaRDI QIDQ3000593FDOQ3000593

Matthew J. Parkinson, Alexander J. Summers

Publication date: 19 May 2011

Published in: Programming Languages and Systems (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Separation logic is a concise method for specifying programs that manipulate dynamically allocated storage. Partially inspired by separation logic, Implicit Dynamic Frames has recently been proposed, aiming at first-order tool support. In this paper, we precisely connect the semantics of these two logics. We define a logic whose syntax subsumes both that of a standard separation logic, and that of implicit dynamic frames as sub-syntaxes. We define a total heap semantics for our logic, and, for the separation logic subsyntax, prove it equivalent the standard partial heaps model. In order to define a semantics which works uniformly for both subsyntaxes, we define the novel concept of a minimal state extension, which provides a different (but equivalent) definition of the semantics of separation logic implication and magic wand connectives, while also giving a suitable semantics for these connectives in implicit dynamic frames. We show that our resulting semantics agrees with the existing definition of weakest pre-condition semantics for the implicit dynamic frames fragment. Finally, we show that we can encode the separation logic fragment of our logic into the implicit dynamic frames fragment, preserving semantics. For the connectives typically supported by tools, this shows that separation logic can be faithfully encoded in a first-order automatic verification tool (Chalice).

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1203.6859

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Mathematical aspects of software engineering (specification, verification, metrics, requirements, etc.) (68N30) Specification and verification (program logics, model checking, etc.) (68Q60) Logic in computer science (03B70)

Cites Work

• Dafny: An Automatic Program Verifier for Functional Correctness
• Separation Logic for Small-Step cminor
• BI as an assertion language for mutable data structures
• Permission accounting in separation logic
• A Basis for Verifying Multi-threaded Programs
• Title not available (Why is that?)
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Cited In (6)

• Verifying Whiley programs with Boogie
• Bringing Order to the Separation Logic Jungle
• WP Semantics and Behavioral Subtyping
• A First-Order Logic with Frames
• Generalized arrays for Stainless frames
• Frame problem in dynamic logic

Uses Software

• Dafny
• Boogie
• cminor

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