Checking safety properties using induction and a SAT-solver

M Sheeran, S Singh, G Stålmarck - … on formal methods in computer-aided …, 2000 - Springer
International conference on formal methods in computer-aided design, 2000Springer
We take a fresh look at the problem of how to check safety properties of finite state
machines. We are particularly interested in checking safety properties with the help of a SAT-
solver. We describe some novel induction-based methods, and show how they are related to
more standard fixpoint algorithms for invariance checking. We also present preliminary
experimental results in the verification of FPGA cores. This demonstrates the practicality of
combining a SAT-solver with induction for safety property checking of hardware in a real …
Abstract
We take a fresh look at the problem of how to check safety properties of finite state machines. We are particularly interested in checking safety properties with the help of a SAT-solver. We describe some novel induction-based methods, and show how they are related to more standard fixpoint algorithms for invariance checking. We also present preliminary experimental results in the verification of FPGA cores. This demonstrates the practicality of combining a SAT-solver with induction for safety property checking of hardware in a real design flow.
Springer