Computer Supported Mathematics with ΩMEGA

Classical automated theorem proving of today is based on ingenious search techniques to find a proof for a given theorem in very large search spaces—often in the range of several billion clauses. But in spite of many successful attempts to prove even open mathematical problems automatically, their use in everyday mathematical practice is still limited. The shift from search based methods to more abstract planning techniques however opened up a paradigm for mathematical reasoning on a computer and several systems of that kind now employ a mix of interactive, search based as well as proof planning techniques. The MEGA system is at the core of several related and well-integrated research projects of the MEGA research group, whose aim is to develop system support for a working mathematician as well as a software engineer when employing formal methods for quality assurance. In particular, MEGA supports proof development at a human-oriented abstract level of proof granularity. It is a modular system with a central proof data structure and several supplementary subsystems including automated deduction and computer algebra systems. MEGA has many characteristics in common with systems like NUPRL, COQ, HOL, PVS, and ISABELLE. However, it differs from these systems with respect to its focus on proof planning and in that respect it is more similar to the proof planning systems CLAM and λCLAM at Edinburgh. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.