Certified Complexity (CerCo)

Amadio, Roberto M.; Ayache, Nicolas; Bobot, François; Boender, Jaap; Campbell, B. K.; Garnier, Ilias; Madet, Antoine; McKinna, James; Mulligan, Dominic P.; Piccolo, Mauro; Pollack, Robert; Régis-Gianas, Yann; Coen, Claudio Sacerdoti; Stark, Ian; Tranquilli, Paolo

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-12466-7_1

Cited by 18 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The CerCo project (Amadio et al, 2013) developed a verified C compiler that allows precise source-level proofs about the time and space consumption of the generate object code. Their method for formal reasoning about time and space consumption has also been adapted to apply to higher-order functional languages (Amadio & Régis-Gianas, 2011).…”

Section: Discussion Of Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

The verified CakeML compiler backend

Tan¹,

Myreen²,

Kumar³

et al. 2019

J. Funct. Prog.

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The CakeML compiler is, to the best of our knowledge, the most realistic verified compiler for a functional programming language to date. The architecture of the compiler, a sequence of intermediate languages through which high-level features are compiled away incrementally, enables verification of each compilation pass at an appropriate level of semantic detail. Parts of the compiler’s implementation resemble mainstream (unverified) compilers for strict functional languages, and it supports several important features and optimisations. These include efficient curried multi-argument functions, configurable data representations, efficient exceptions, register allocation, and more. The compiler produces machine code for five architectures: x86-64, ARMv6, ARMv8, MIPS-64, and RISC-V. The generated machine code contains the verified runtime system which includes a verified generational copying garbage collector and a verified arbitrary precision arithmetic (bignum) library. In this paper, we present the overall design of the compiler backend, including its 12 intermediate languages. We explain how the semantics and proofs fit together and provide detail on how the compiler has been bootstrapped inside the logic of a theorem prover. The entire development has been carried out within the HOL4 theorem prover.

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Section: Discussion Of Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

The verified CakeML compiler backend

Tan¹,

Myreen²,

Kumar³

et al. 2019

J. Funct. Prog.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The CerCo project (Amadio et al 2014) developed a verified C compiler that allows precise source-level proofs about the time and space consumption of the generate object code. Their method for formal reasoning about time and space consumption has also been adapted to apply to higher-order functional languages (Amadio and Régis-Gianas 2011).…”

Section: Compilers For Functional Languagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new verified compiler backend for CakeML

et al. 2016

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We have developed and mechanically verified a new compiler backend for CakeML. Our new compiler features a sequence of intermediate languages that allows it to incrementally compile away high-level features and enables verification at the right levels of semantic detail. In this way, it resembles mainstream (unverified) compilers for strict functional languages. The compiler supports efficient curried multi-argument functions, configurable data representations, exceptions that unwind the call stack, register allocation, and more. The compiler targets several architectures: x86-64, ARMv6, ARMv8, MIPS-64, and RISC-V.In this paper, we present the overall structure of the compiler, including its 12 intermediate languages, and explain how everything fits together. We focus particularly on the interaction between the verification of the register allocator and the garbage collector, and memory representations. The entire development has been carried out within the HOL4 theorem prover.

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“…Other verified compilers have tended to ignore linking, with the exception of the Piton project [28] which included a simple link-assembler for a low-level assembly-like language. The CerCo compiler [1] is limited to single-module programs, as are the C0 compiler [32], Chlipala's compiler [6], and the CakeML compiler [22] to name some notable recent projects; the latter uses the host toolchain to link in a small amount of native code to implement string inputoutput routines.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…• authors of certified compilers (e.g. [1,22,23,40]) interested in producing ABI-compliant linkable ELF binaries, extending their source languages with elements of linkerspeak, or creating a trustworthy link checker. Current efforts at checking the host linker's output, such as Com-pCert's cchecklink, lack a detailed model of the linker's actions, so cannot check that the linker has not inserted malicious extra content-which might even take the form of metadata rather than instructions [35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The missing link: explaining ELF static linking, semantically

2016

Self Cite

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Beneath the surface, software usually depends on complex linker behaviour to work as intended. Even linking hello _ world.c is surprisingly involved, and systems software such as libc and operating system kernels rely on a host of linker features. But linking is poorly understood by working programmers and has largely been neglected by language researchers. In this paper we survey the many use-cases that linkers support and the poorly specified linker speak by which they are controlled: metadata in object files, command-line options, and linker-script language. We provide the first validated formalisation of a realistic executable and linkable format (ELF), and capture aspects of the Application Binary Interfaces for four mainstream platforms (AArch64, AMD64, Power64, and IA32). Using these, we develop an executable specification of static linking, covering (among other things) enough to link small C programs (we use the example of bzip2) into a correctly running executable. We provide our specification in Lem and Isabelle/HOL forms. This is the first formal specification of mainstream linking. We have used the Isabelle/HOL version to prove a sample correctness property for one case of AMD64 ABI relocation, demonstrating that the specification supports formal proof, and as a first step towards the much more ambitious goal of verified linking. Our work should enable several novel strands of research, including linker-aware verified compilation and program analysis, and better languages for controlling linking.

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Certified Complexity (CerCo)

Cited by 18 publications

References 13 publications

The verified CakeML compiler backend

The verified CakeML compiler backend

A new verified compiler backend for CakeML

The missing link: explaining ELF static linking, semantically

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