Proving real-time properties of programs with temporal logic

Abstract

Wirth [Wi77] categorized programs into three classes. The most difficult type of program to understand and write is a real-time program. Much work has been done in the formal verification of sequential programs, but much remains to be done for concurrent and real-time programs. The critical nature of typical real-time applications makes the validity problem for real-time programs particularly important. Owicki and Lamport [OL80] present a relatively new method for verifying concurrent programs using temporal logic. This paper presents an extension of their work to the area of real-time programs. A model and proof system are presented and their use demonstrated using examples from the literature.