31st IEEE Software Engineering Workshop (SEW 2007)
A Refinement Based Framework for Computing Loop Behavior
Columbia, MD, USA
March 06-March 08
ISBN: 0-7695-2862-7
The development, certification and evolution of de- pendable software requires the ability to analyze soft- ware artifacts in all their extensive detail. This, in turn, is contingent upon availability of reliable, certified tools that can rigorously analyze the behavior and properties of software artifacts. One of the most difficult challenges in the development of such a tool is the ability to derive the function of a loop from a static analysis of its source code. In this paper, we discuss the main tenets of our approach to this problem, based on a relation-theoretic refinement calculus, and outline its results, insights, and prospects. Function extraction, loop functions, loop invariants, relational calculus, refinement calculus, computing loop behavior.