Verification of Sequential and Concurrent Programs (Texts in Computer Science)

Computer programs are becoming more and more part of systems that we use to rely on in our daily lives. The proper functioning and safety of these systems is of paramount importance. A major challenger for computer science is to develop methods that ensure program correctness. This textbook provides a structured introduction to program verification using an assertional approach - so named because it relies on the use of assertions that are attached to program control points. Sequential programs in the form of deterministic and nondeterministic programs, and concurrent programs in the form of parallel and distributed programs are considered within the context of their partial and total correctness. The use of these proof systems is demonstrated with the help of case studies. In particular solutions to classical problems such as mutual exclusion are formally verified. Each chapter concludes with exercises and bibliographic remarks for further reading. As a result, this text will be appropriate for either an introductory course on program verification for upper division of undergraduate studies or for graduate studies. It can also be used as an introduction to operational semantics. Outlines of possible courses are presented in the preface of the book.

Computer programs are an indispensable part of many of the systems we rely upon in our daily lives, and the proper functioning and safety of these systems is of paramount importance. The development of methods that ensure program correctness is therefore a key challenge for computer scientists.

This widely anticipated third edition of Verification of Sequential and Concurrent Programs provides a systematic exploration of one of the most common approaches to program verification, known as the "assertional" approach. Following the successful formula of previous editions, this approach is applied to deterministic and nondeterministic sequential programs of varying complexity, together with both parallel and distributed concurrent programs. The expanded content of this thorough new edition also includes coverage of the verification of object-oriented programs. For each class of programs, the authors introduce an operational semantics and proof systems for the verification of partial and total correctness, justified formally in corresponding soundness theorems. Case studies supplied throughout the book demonstrate the use of the proof systems to formally verify solutions to classical problems, such as sorting, manipulation of lists, producer/consumer and mutual exclusion.

Topics and Features:

• Includes a thorough introductory section, familiarizing the reader with the basic concepts and notation used in the book, as well as the book’s structure
  
• Explains Hoare’s approach to program verification for while programs, providing a correctness proof of a program for partitioning an array (NEW)
  
• Concludes each chapter with exercises and bibliographic remarks for further reading
  
• Discusses recursive programs that extend deterministic programs by parameterless procedures and procedures with the call-by-value parameter mechanism, and provides a correctness proof of the quicksort program (NEW)
  
• Explores nondeterministic and distributed programs, presenting a verification method of distributed programs based on a transformation into nondeterministic ones
  
• Presents object-oriented programs, with a focus on the main characteristics of objects (NEW)
  
• Investigates parallel programs with shared variables and with synchronization
  
• Studies the issue of fairness in the framework of nondeterministic programs, using an approach based on the method of explicit schedulers
  
• Includes a Foreword by Professor Amir Pnueli

This modern update of a classic, reader-friendly textbook is perfect for an introductory course on program verification for advanced undergraduate or graduate students, and may also be used as an introduction to operational semantics. Outlines for possible courses are suggested in the Preface to the book. This book is unique in addressing assertional verification of all essential classes of imperative programs: while programs, recursive programs, object-oriented programs, nondeterministic programs, parallel programs, and distributed programs.