Logic and Computation
Interactive Proof with Cambridge LCF

Lawrence C. Paulson (Author)

9780521395601, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 26 July 1990

320 pages
24.7 x 18.7 x 1.9 cm, 0.574 kg

"This book is well-written: it is a good text for any reader who wants to become familiar with Cambridge LCF, or, in general, with machine assisted (formal) proof construction." Mathematical Reviews

This book is concerned with techniques for formal theorem-proving, with particular reference to Cambridge LCF (Logic for Computable Functions). Cambridge LCF is a computer program for reasoning about computation. It combines the methods of mathematical logic with domain theory, the basis of the denotational approach to specifying the meaning of program statements. Cambridge LCF is based on an earlier theorem-proving system, Edinburgh LCF, which introduced a design that gives the user flexibility to use and extend the system. A goal of this book is to explain the design, which has been adopted in several other systems. The book consists of two parts. Part I outlines the mathematical preliminaries, elementary logic and domain theory, and explains them at an intuitive level, giving reference to more advanced reading; Part II provides sufficient detail to serve as a reference manual for Cambridge LCF. It will also be a useful guide for implementors of other programs based on the LCF approach.

Part I. Preliminaries: 1. Survey and history of LCF
2. Formal proof in first order logic
3. A logic of computable functions
4. Structural induction
Part II. Cambridge LCF: 5. Syntactic operators for PPL
6. Theory structure
7. Axioms and interference rules
8. Tactics and tacticals
9. Rewriting and simplification
10. Sample proofs
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Mathematical theory of computation [UYA], Mathematical logic [PBCD]