Full Functional Verification of Linked Data Structures Karen Zee Viktor Kuncak Martin C. Rinard MIT CSAIL, Cambridge, MA, USA EPFL, I&C, Lausanne, Switzerland MIT CSAIL, Cambridge, MA, USA ∗
[email protected] viktor.kuncak@epfl.ch
[email protected] Abstract 1. Introduction We present the first verification of full functional correctness for Linked data structures such as lists, trees, graphs, and hash tables a range of linked data structure implementations, including muta- are pervasive in modern software systems. But because of phenom- ble lists, trees, graphs, and hash tables. Specifically, we present the ena such as aliasing and indirection, it has been a challenge to de- use of the Jahob verification system to verify formal specifications, velop automated reasoning systems that are capable of proving im- written in classical higher-order logic, that completely capture the portant correctness properties of such data structures. desired behavior of the Java data structure implementations (with the exception of properties involving execution time and/or mem- 1.1 Background ory consumption). Given that the desired correctness properties in- In principle, standard specification and verification approaches clude intractable constructs such as quantifiers, transitive closure, should work for linked data structure implementations. But in prac- and lambda abstraction, it is a challenge to successfully prove the tice, many of the desired correctness properties involve logical generated verification conditions. constructs such transitive closure and