Natural Language Specifications in Proof Assistants [article]

Colin S. Gordon, Sergey Matskevich
2022 arXiv   pre-print
Interactive proof assistants are computer programs carefully constructed to check a human-designed proof of a mathematical claim with high confidence in the implementation. However, this only validates truth of a formal claim, which may have been mistranslated from a claim made in natural language. This is especially problematic when using proof assistants to formally verify the correctness of software with respect to a natural language specification. The translation from informal to formal
more » ... ins a challenging, time-consuming process that is difficult to audit for correctness. This paper argues that it is possible to build support for natural language specifications within existing proof assistants, in a way that complements the principles used to establish trust and auditability in proof assistants themselves.
arXiv:2205.07811v1 fatcat:jc4on2o4dfdjfnr2yrcjbdujye