Formal verification of a deadlock detection algorithm

Freek Verbeek
(Radboud University)
Julien Schmaltz
(Open University of The Netherlands)

Deadlock detection is a challenging issue in the analysis and design of on-chip networks. We have designed an algorithm to detect deadlocks automatically in on-chip networks with wormhole switching. The algorithm has been specified and proven correct in ACL2. To enable a top-down proof methodology, some parts of the algorithm have been left unimplemented. For these parts, the ACL2 specification contains constrained functions introduced with defun-sk. We used single-threaded objects to represent the data structures used by the algorithm. In this paper, we present details on the proof of correctness of the algorithm. The process of formal verification was crucial to get the algorithm flawless. Our ultimate objective is to have an efficient executable, and formally proven correct implementation of the algorithm running in ACL2.

In David Hardin and Julien Schmaltz: Proceedings 10th International Workshop on the ACL2 Theorem Prover and its Applications (ACL2 2011), Austin, Texas, USA, November 3-4, 2011, Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science 70, pp. 103–112.
Published: 20th October 2011.

ArXived at: https://dx.doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.70.8 bibtex PDF
References in reconstructed bibtex, XML and HTML format (approximated).
Comments and questions to: eptcs@eptcs.org
For website issues: webmaster@eptcs.org