Implementing Extensible Theorem Provers

Kathi Fisler, Shriram Krishnamurthi, Kathryn E. Gray

International Conference on Theorem Proving in Higher-Order Logics: Emerging Trends, 1999

Abstract

The growing application of theorem proving techniques has increased the need for customized theorem provers. Powerful provers contain numerous interacting subsystems, each of which requires substantial time and expertise to build; constructing new provers from scratch is virtually prohibitive. Plug-and-play prover frameworks promise an alternative in which developers can construct provers by selecting logics, reasoning techniques, and interfaces. Realizing such frameworks cleanly requires specialized software architectures and particular language abstractions, even for frameworks supporting only simple interactions between logics. This paper explores architectural and linguistic issues in plug-and-play theorem prover development. It reflects our experience creating and using such a framework to develop several versions of a research prototype theorem prover.

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