Abstract for the Isabelle system
authorpaulson
Mon, 04 Oct 2004 15:21:42 +0200
changeset 15226 df9b45e9a39f
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child 15227 804ecdc08cf2
Abstract for the Isabelle system
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+	<head>
+		<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1">
+		<title>Isabelle</title>
+	</head>
+
+	<body bgcolor="#ffffff">
+		<h1>Isabelle</h1>
+		<p><a href="http://isabelle.in.tum.de/">Isabelle</a> is a generic proof assistant. It allows mathematical formulas to be expressed in a formal language and provides tools for proving those formulas in a logical calculus. The main potential application in industry is <em>formal verification</em>, which includes proving the correctness of computer hardware or software and proving properties of computer languages and protocols. Among its research applications are the formalization of mathematical proofs.  </p>
+		<p>Compared with similar tools, Isabelle's distinguishing feature is its flexibility. Most proof assistants are built around a single formal calculus, typically higher-order logic. Isabelle has the capacity to accept a variety of formal calculi. The distributed version supports higher-order logic but also axiomatic set theory and several <a href="http://isabelle.in.tum.de/logics.html">other formalisms</a>. Isabelle provides excellent notational support: new notations can be introduced, using normal mathematical symbols. Proofs can be written in a structured notation based upon traditional proof style, or more straightforwardly as sequences of commands. Definitions and proofs may include TeX source, from which Isabelle can automatically generate typeset documents.</p>
+		<p>The main limitation of all such systems is that proving theorems requires much effort from an expert user. Isabelle incorporates some tools to improve the user's productivity by automating some parts of the proof process. In particular, Isabelle's <em>classical reasoner</em> can perform long chains of reasoning steps to prove formulas. The <em>simplifier</em> can prove certain arithmetic facts and can reason about equations.  Isabelle is closely integrated with the <a href="http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/lcp/papers/protocols.html">Proof General</a> user interface, which eases the task of writing and maintaining proof scripts.. </p>
+		<p>Isabelle includes with large theories of formally verified mathematics, including elementary number theory (for example, Gauss's law of quadratic reciprocity), analysis (basic properties of limits, derivatives and integrals), algebra (up to Sylow's theorem) and set theory (the relative consistency of the Axiom of  Choice). Also provided are numerous examples arising from research into formal verification. Isabelle is <a href="http://isabelle.in.tum.de/dist/">distributed</a> free of charge to academic users.</p>
+		<p>Ample <a href="http://isabelle.in.tum.de/dist/docs.html">documentation</a> is available, including a <a href="http://www4.in.tum.de/%7enipkow/LNCS2283/">Tutorial</a> published by Springer-Verlag. Several <a href="http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/lcp/papers/isabelle.html">papers</a> on the design of Isabelle are  available. There is also a list of past and present <a href="http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/Research/HVG/Isabelle/projects.html">projects</a> undertaken using Isabelle. </p>
+		<p>Isabelle is a joint project between <a href="http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/lcp/">Lawrence C. Paulson</a> (University of Cambridge, UK) and  <a href="http://www.in.tum.de/%7enipkow/">Tobias Nipkow</a> (Technical University of Munich, Germany).</p>
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+\documentclass[11pt]{article}
+
+\title{Isabelle: An Overview}
+\author{Lawrence C. Paulson}
+
+\date{October 2003}
+
+\usepackage{basic,times,mathtime}
+
+\makeatletter
+\@ifundefined{pdfoutput}{\message{No PDF output}%
+  \usepackage{../url}%
+  \newcommand{\hfootref}[2]{#2\footnote{\url{#1}}}}%
+{\message{Generating PDF output}%
+  \usepackage{color}\definecolor{darkblue}{rgb}{0,0,0.5}%
+  \usepackage[pdftex,colorlinks=true,linkcolor=darkblue,citecolor=darkblue,filecolor=darkblue,pagecolor=darkblue,urlcolor=darkblue]{hyperref}  \newcommand{\hfootref}[2]{\href{#1}{#2}\footnote{\url{#1}}}}
+
+\makeatother
+
+\begin{document}
+\maketitle
+
+
Isabelle~\cite{isa-tutorial} is a generic proof assistant.  It allows mathematical formulas to be expressed in a 
+formal language and provides tools for proving those formulas in a
+logical calculus. The main potential application in industry is
+\emph{formal verification}, which includes proving the 
+correctness of computer hardware or software and proving 
+properties of computer languages and protocols. Among its research
+applications are the formalization of mathematical proofs.
+
+Compared with similar tools, Isabelle's distinguishing feature is its flexibility. Most proof assistants
+are built around a single formal calculus, typically higher-order logic.
+Isabelle has the capacity to
+accept a variety of formal calculi. The distributed version
+supports higher-order logic but also axiomatic set theory and several other
+formalisms. Isabelle provides excellent notational support: 
+new notations can be introduced, using normal mathematical symbols.
+
+The main limitation of all such systems is that proving theorems
+requires much effort
+from an expert user. Isabelle incorporates some tools to improve
+the user's productivity by automating some parts of the proof process.
+In particular, Isabelle's \emph{classical reasoner} can perform long
+chains of reasoning steps to prove formulas. The \emph{simplifier} 
+can prove certain arithmetic facts and can reason about equations.
+
+Isabelle is closely integrated with the 
+\hfootref{http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/lcp/papers/protocols.html}{Proof General} user interface, which greatly eases the task of interacting with 
+Isabelle. Proof General is open-source software under the GNU General Public
+License. Using Isabelle without Proof General would be difficult.
+
+Isabelle is distributed with large theories of formalized mathematics, 
+including elementary number theory (for example, Gauss's law of quadratic reciprocity), analysis (basic properties of limits, derivatives and integrals) and algebra (up to Sylow's theorem). Also provided are numerous 
+examples arising from research into formal verification. The total size of
+the distribution (program sources and documentation) is about 5.4MB.
+
+\paragraph*{Sponsorship.}
+Isabelle is a joint project between Cambridge and the Technical University
+of Munich, Germany. Prof.\ Tobias Nipkow leads the German team; other significant contributors at Munich include Dr. Markus Wenzel, Dr. Gerwin Klein and Mr.\ Stefan Berghofer.
+
The development of Isabelle at Cambridge was funded by the following grants:
+\begin{itemize}
\item \emph{Supporting Logics} (6/1986--11/1989). SERC grant GR/E0355.7
\item \emph{Logical Frameworks: Design, Implementation and Experiment} (6/1989--3/1992). ESPRIT Basic Research Action 3245
\item \emph{Types for Proofs and Programs}: ESPRIT Basic Research Action 6453 (9/1992--8/1995) 
+\item \emph{Combining HOL with Isabelle} (9/1992--8/1995). EPSRC grant GR/H40570
\item \emph{Mechanising Temporal Reasoning} (11/1995--4/1999). EPSRC grant reference GR/K57381
\item \emph{Authentication Logics: New Theory and Implementations} (1/1996--6/1999). EPSRC grant GR/K77051
\item \emph{Compositional Proofs of Concurrent Programs} (10/1999--6/2003). EPSRC grant GR/M75440 (RG28587)
\item \emph{Verifying Electronic Commerce Protocols} (10/2000--9/2003). EPSRC grant GR/R 01156/01 (NRAG/002)
%\item \emph{Automation for Interactive Proof} (2/2004--1/2007).
+%EPSRC grant GR/S57198/01 (NRAG/071)
+\end{itemize}
+Lawrence Paulson was the Principal Investigator on all of these grants.
+The Munich side had support from German sponsors.
+
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