A Reasoning Engine for the Gamification of Loop-Invariant Discovery (2109.01121v1)

Abstract: We describe the design and implementation of a reasoning engine that facilitates the gamification of loop-invariant discovery. Our reasoning engine enables students, computational agents and regular software engineers with no formal methods expertise to collaboratively prove interesting theorems about simple programs using browser-based, online games. Within an hour, players are able to specify and verify properties of programs that are beyond the capabilities of fully-automated tools. The hour limit includes the time for setting up the system, completing a short tutorial explaining game play and reasoning about simple imperative programs. Players are never required to understand formal proofs; they only provide insights by proposing invariants. The reasoning engine is responsible for managing and evaluating the proposed invariants, as well as generating actionable feedback.