Embedding Hindsight Reasoning in Separation Logic
Roland Meyer, Thomas Wies, Sebastian Wolff
Abstract
Automatically proving linearizability of concurrent data structures remains a key challenge for verification. We present temporal interpolation as a new proof principle to guide automated proof search using hindsight arguments within concurrent separation logic. Temporal interpolation offers an easy-to-automate alternative to prophecy variables and has the advantage of structuring proofs into easy-to-discharge hypotheses. Additionally, we advance hindsight theory by integrating it into a program logic, bringing formal rigor and complementary proof machinery. We substantiate the usefulness of temporal interpolation by implementing it in a tool and using it to automatically verify the Logical Ordering tree. The proof is challenging due to future-dependent linearization points and complex structure overlays. It is the first formal proof of this data structure. Interestingly, our formalization revealed an unknown bug and an existing informal proof as erroneous.
Ask about this paper
Your agent reads all of it.
Lune indexed this paper to the last equation, along with the top-tier papers that cite it. Ask a question and the answer quotes them.
Your agent calls
Luneget_paper_fulltext
Free to start. No credit card required.
Terminal
Install the CLIlune papers fulltext 64369a4b-63f5-40b9-b801-5b48a48cfe78Cited by top-tier papers4
- Proving highly-concurrent traversals correctYotam M. Y. Feldman, Artem Khyzha, Constantin Enea, Adam Morrison et al.OOPSLA 2020 · 12 citations
- A Proof Recipe for Linearizability in Relaxed Memory Separation LogicSunho Park, Jaewoo Kim, Ike Mulder, Jaehwang Jung et al.PLDI 2024 · 4 citations
- Verifying Lock-Free Traversals in Relaxed Memory Separation LogicSunho Park, Jaehwang Jung, Janggun Lee, Jeehoon KangPLDI 2025 · 1 citation
- Arithmetizing Shape AnalysisSebastian Wolff, Ekanshdeep Gupta, Zafer Esen, Hossein Hojjat et al.CAV 2025
Builds on4
- The future is ours: prophecy variables in separation logicRalf Jung, Rodolphe Lepigre, Gaurav Parthasarathy, Marianna Rapoport et al.POPL 2020 · 62 citations
- Verifying concurrent search structure templatesSiddharth Krishna, Nisarg Patel, Dennis E. Shasha, Thomas WiesPLDI 2020 · 19 citations
- Proving highly-concurrent traversals correctYotam M. Y. Feldman, Artem Khyzha, Constantin Enea, Adam Morrison et al.OOPSLA 2020 · 12 citations
- A concurrent program logic with a future and historyRoland Meyer, Thomas Wies, Sebastian WolffOOPSLA 2022 · 9 citations
Related papers
- Proof Automation for Linearizability in Separation LogicIke Mulder, Robbert KrebbersOOPSLA 2023 · 8 citations
- Verifying concurrent multicopy search structuresNisarg Patel, Siddharth Krishna, Dennis E. Shasha, Thomas WiesOOPSLA 2021 · 8 citations
- Inductive Diagrams for Causal ReasoningJonathan Castello, Patrick Redmond, Lindsey KuperOOPSLA 2024
- Consistency-preserving propagation for SMT solving of concurrent program verificationZhihang Sun, Hongyu Fan, Fei HeOOPSLA 2022 · 11 citations
- Beyond Backtracking: Connections in Fine-Grained Concurrent Separation LogicIke Mulder, Lukasz Czajka, Robbert KrebbersPLDI 2023 · 2 citations
