Meta-Configuration Tracking for Machine-Certified Correctness of Concurrent Data Structures (Abstract)

Prasad Jayanti, Siddhartha Jayanti, Ugur Y. Yavuz, Lizzie Hernandez

Abstract: We introduce meta-configuration tracking: a simple, universal, sound, and complete proof method for producing machine-verifiable proofs of linearizability. Universality means that our method works for any object type; soundness means that an algorithm can be proved correct by our method only if it is linearizable; and completeness means that any linearizable implementation can be proved so using our method. We demonstrate the simplicity and power of our method by producing proofs of linearizability for the Herlihy-Wing queue, Jayanti's single-scanner snapshot, as well as a proof of strong linearizability of the Jayanti-Tarjan union-find object. All three of these proofs are machine-verified by TLAPS (the TLA+ Proof System). Collectively, these verified algorithms are noted for their intricacy, speed, and wide-spread use.