An Abstract Programming System

Abstract

The system PL permits the translation of abstract proofs of program correctness into programs in a variety of programming languages. A programming language satisfying certain axioms may be the target of such a translation. The system PL also permits the construction and proof of correctness of programs in an abstract programming language, and permits the translation of these programs into correct programs in a variety of languages. The abstract programming language has an imperative style of programming with assignment statements and side-effects, to allow the efficient generation of code. The abstract programs may be written by humans and then translated, avoiding the need to write the same program repeatedly in different languages or even the same language. This system uses classical logic, is conceptually simple, and permits reasoning about nonterminating programs using Scott-Strachey style denotational semantics.