CSP-Prover – a Proof Tool for the Verification of Scalable Concurrent Systems

The process algebra Csp [1] [4] [15] [16] is a formal method devoted to the modelling as well as to the analysis and verification of concurrent systems. It is a speciality of Csp that it captures both, the concurrent system as well as its desired properties, as specifications: Let Sys be the formal Csp model of a concurrent system, let P be a property formulated in Csp – such a property could, for instance, be deadlock-freedom. In such a setting, the statement P Sys, read ‘Sys is a refinement of P ’, expresses that the property P holds for the concurrent system Sys. In the proof of such a statement the process algebraic laws of Csp play a vital role: Thanks to completeness results, see e.g. [8] [15], most refinement statements can be proven by solely applying process algebraic laws. Isabelle [13] is an interactive theorem prover that allows one to prove new theorems by semiautomatically applying rules which are pre-proven theorems. Then, successfully proved theorems can be stored and used later as new rules. Therefore, the proof-ability of Isabelle can be extended by adding new definitions and proving new theorems. Our tool Csp-Prover [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] provides a deep encoding of Csp in Isabelle. Csp-Prover contains fundamental theorems such as fixed point