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Design and Application of Strategies/Tactics in Higher Order Logics

This Proceedings includes both a paper from the implementors of PVS providing guidance for PVS strategy writers and a tutorial on PVS strategy writing distilled from the experience of three PVS users who have written extensive sets of PVS user strategies. Following these are three full papers from the higher-order logic theorem proving community that discuss PVS strategies to enhance arithmetic and other interactive reasoning in PVS; implementing first-order tactics in higher-order provers; and a proposed technique for specifying small step semantics that can be used in multiple higher order logic theorem provers, with illustrations from both Coq and PVS. The Proceedings concludes with three position papers for a panel session that discuss three settings in which development of PVS strategies is worth while.

Archer, Myla

Compatibility Assessment Tool

In support of ground system development for the Space Launch System (SLS), engineers are tasked with building immense engineering models of extreme complexity. The various systems require rigorous analysis of pneumatics, hydraulic, cryogenic, and hypergolic systems. There are certain standards that each of these systems must meet, in the form of pressure vessel system (PVS) certification reports. These reports can be hundreds of pages long, and require many hours to compile. Traditionally, each component is analyzed individually, often utilizing hand calculations in the design process. The objective of this opportunity is to perform these analyses in an integrated fashion with the parametric CADCAE environment. This allows for systems to be analyzed on an assembly level in a semi-automated fashion, which greatly improves accuracy and efficiency. To accomplish this, component specific parameters were stored in the Windchill database to individual Creo Parametric models based on spec control drawings. These parameters were then accessed by using the Prime Analysis within Creo Parametric. MathCAD Prime spreadsheets were created that automatically extracted these parameters, performed calculations, and generated reports. The reports described component compatibility based on local conditions such as pressure, temperature, density, and flow rates. The reports also determined component pairing compatibility, such as properly sizing relief valves with regulators. The reports stored the input conditions that were used to determine compatibility to increase traceability of component selection. The desired workflow for using this tool would begin with a Creo Schematics diagram of a PVS system. This schematic would store local conditions and locations of components. The schematic would then populate an assembly within Creo Parametric, using Windchill database parts. These parts would have their attributes already assigned, and the MathCAD spreadsheets could begin running through database parts to determine which components would be suited for specific locations within the assembly. This eliminates a significant amount of time from the design process, and makes initial analysis assessments more accurate. Each component that would be checked for a location within the assembly would generate a report, showing whether the component was compatible. These reports could be used to generate the PVS report without the need to perform the same analysis multiple times. This process also has the potential to be expanded upon to further automate PVS reports. The integration of software codes or macros could be used to automatically check through hundreds of parts for each location on the schematic. If the software could recognize which type of component would be necessary for each location, it is possible that simply starting the macro could completely choose all the components needed for the schematic, and in turn the system. This would save many hours of work initially selecting components, which could end up saving money. Overall, this process helps to automate initial component selections for PVS systems to fit local design specifications. These selections will automatically generate reports showing how the design criteria are met by the specific component that was chosen. These reports will contribute to easier compilation of the PVS certification reports, which currently take a great amount of time and effort to produce.

Egbert, James Allen

Formal development of a clock synchronization circuit

This talk presents the latest stage in formal development of a fault-tolerant clock synchronization circuit. The development spans from a high level specification of the required properties to a circuit realizing the core function of the system. An abstract description of an algorithm has been verified to satisfy the high-level properties using the mechanical verification system EHDM. This abstract description is recast as a behavioral specification input to the Digital Design Derivation system (DDD) developed at Indiana University. DDD provides a formal design algebra for developing correct digital hardware. Using DDD as the principle design environment, a core circuit implementing the clock synchronization algorithm was developed. The design process consisted of standard DDD transformations augmented with an ad hoc refinement justified using the Prototype Verification System (PVS) from SRI International. Subsequent to the above development, Wilfredo Torres-Pomales discovered an area-efficient realization of the same function. Establishing correctness of this optimization requires reasoning in arithmetic, so a general verification is outside the domain of both DDD transformations and model-checking techniques. DDD represents digital hardware by systems of mutually recursive stream equations. A collection of PVS theories was developed to aid in reasoning about DDD-style streams. These theories include a combinator for defining streams that satisfy stream equations, and a means for proving stream equivalence by exhibiting a stream bisimulation. DDD was used to isolate the sub-system involved in Torres-Pomales' optimization. The equivalence between the original design and the optimized verified was verified in PVS by exhibiting a suitable bisimulation. The verification depended upon type constraints on the input streams and made extensive use of the PVS type system. The dependent types in PVS provided a useful mechanism for defining an appropriate bisimulation.

Miner, Paul S.

A Formally-Verified Decision Procedure for Univariate Polynomial Computation Based on Sturm's Theorem

Sturm's Theorem is a well-known result in real algebraic geometry that provides a function that computes the number of roots of a univariate polynomial in a semiopen interval. This paper presents a formalization of this theorem in the PVS theorem prover, as well as a decision procedure that checks whether a polynomial is always positive, nonnegative, nonzero, negative, or nonpositive on any input interval. The soundness and completeness of the decision procedure is proven in PVS. The procedure and its correctness properties enable the implementation of a PVS strategy for automatically proving existential and universal univariate polynomial inequalities. Since the decision procedure is formally verified in PVS, the soundness of the strategy depends solely on the internal logic of PVS rather than on an external oracle. The procedure itself uses a combination of Sturm's Theorem, an interval bisection procedure, and the fact that a polynomial with exactly one root in a bounded interval is always nonnegative on that interval if and only if it is nonnegative at both endpoints.

Narkawicz, Anthony J.

An Integrated Development Environment for the Prototype Verification System

The steep learning curve of formal technologies is a well-known barrier to the adoption of formal verification tools in industry. This paper presents VSCode-PVS, a modern integrated development environment for the Prototype Verification System (PVS). This new environment integrates the editing and proof management functionalities of PVS in Visual Studio Code, a popular code editor widely used by software developers. VSCode-PVS provides functionalities that developers expect to find in modern verification tools but are not available in the standard Emacs front-end of PVS, such as auto-completion, point-and-click navigation of definitions, live diagnostics for errors, and literate programming. The main features and architecture of the environment are presented, along with a comparison with other similar tools.

Paolo Masci

TPSAS-NF1676L-9990-DND

PVS (Prototype Veri cation System)1 is an interactive environment for the specification and verification of systems. PVS provides a strongly typed specification language, which is based on Higher-Order Logic. The type system of PVS supports: sub-typing, dependent-types, abstract data types, parametric types, records, unions, and tuples. The PVS theorem prover includes decision procedures for a variety of theories such as linear arithmetic, propositional logic, and temporal logic. This seminar will provide a gentle introduction to the basic and advanced features of PVS, including: theory interpretations, real number proving, batch proving, rapid prototyping, and strategy development. All these features are illustrated with simple examples and exercises.

César Muñoz

A Temporal Differential Dynamic Logic Formal Embedding

Differential dynamic logic is a formal framework to specify and reason about hybrid programs (HPs). The core of dL is a proof calculus that contains a collection of axioms and rules for the rigorous verification of properties of HPs. Recently, dL has been embedded within the theorem prover Prototype Verification System (PVS) resulting in the tool Plaidypvs2. The integration of dL into PVS expands its expressive power; user defined functions, such as trigonometric and other transcendental functions, can be used inside the dL framework, and meta-reasoning about HPs can be performed, including reasoning about entire classes of HPs, specified using dependent types in PVS. The differential temporal dynamic logic (dTL2) extends dL with temporal logic operators to reason about all the states reachable during the execution of an HP. This paper presents a work in progress focusing on embedding dTL2 in PVS as an extension of Plaidypvs. Plaidypvs is expanded with the formalization of a trace semantics for HPs, the definition of the LTL temporal operators eventually and globally, and the implementation of the proof calculus for dTL2. This new embedding has the same capabilties as Plaidypvs, which allows user defined functions and meta-reasoning of properties of HPs. To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first implementation of dTL2.

differential dynamic logic

The AAMP5/AAMP-FV project

This presentation describes a project, formal verification of the microcode in the AAMP5 microprocessor, conducted to explore how formal techniques for specification and verification could be introduced into an industrial process. Sponsored by the Systems Validation Branch of NASA Langley and by Collins Commercial Avionics, a division of Rockwell International, it was conducted by Collins and the SRI International Computer Science Laboratory. The project consisted of specifying in the PVS language developed by SRI a portion of a Rockwell proprietary microprocessor, the AAMP5, at both the instruction set and register-transfer levels and using the PVS theorem prover to prove the microcode correct for a representative subset of instructions. While this presentation includes a brief technical overview, its emphasis is on the lessons learned in using PVS for an example of this size and the implications for using formal methods in an industrial setting. The central result of this project was to demonstrate the feasibility of formally specifying a commercial microprocessor and the use of mechanical proofs of correctness to verify microcode. This is particularly significant since the AAMP5 was not designed for formal verification, but to provide a more than three fold performance improvement, by pipelining instruction execution, while remaining object code compatible with the earlier AAMP2. As a consequence, the AAMP5 is one of the most complex microprocessors to which formal methods have been applied. Another key result was the discovery of both actual and seeded errors. Two actual microcode errors were discovered and corrected during development of the formal specification, illustrating the value of simply creating a precise specification. Two seeded errors were systematically uncovered while doing correctness proofs. One of these was an actual error that had been discovered after first fabrication but left in the microcode provided to SRI. The other error was designed to be unlikely to be detected by walkthroughs, testing, or simulation. Several other results emerged during the project, including the ease with which practicing engineers became comfortable with PVS, the need for libraries of general purpose theories, the usefulness of formal specification in revealing errors, the natural fit between formal specification and inspections, the difficulty of selecting the best style of specification for a new problem domain, the high level of assurance provided by proofs of correctness, and the need to engineer proof strategies for reuse.

Miller, Steven P.

Improving Automated Strategies for Univariate Quantifier Elimination

This report discusses improved support for univariate quantifier elimination in the Prototype Verification System (PVS). Previously, PVS had three strategies for quantifier elimination—hutch, tarski, and sturm. Of these, only hutch is able to decide queries in any input format—sturm only works on queries regarding a single polynomial on an interval and tarski resolves queries in the universal existential fragment. This paper describes an extended version of tarski. The extension is accomplished by formally verifying a disjunctive normal form transformation in PVS and using tarski on each conjunctive clause. Additionally, a preprocessing step is added to the decision procedure underlying tarski. This preprocessing is designed to exploit properties of polynomial structure to quickly resolve queries that have certain formats. The preprocessing produces dramatic speedup when it succeeds in resolving a query, and seems to introduce negligible overhead when it does not resolve a query. Finally, testing reveals some ways to improve the hutch and tarski strategies.

Polynomial Constraints

A Verification Framework for Runtime Assurance of Autonomous UAS

Runtime Assurance (RTA) is a design-time architecture for safety-critical systems where an internal monitor acts upon detecting a violation of a property. The simplex architecture is an instance of RTA, where the action taken is to hand control of the overall system to a trusted controller when an untrusted one violates a safety property. Simplex RTA is emerging as a method for allowing AI/ML and other unverified software to be integrated into safety-critical applications like aircraft. To this end, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and NASA have each published guidelines on the use of RTA in such systems. In the simplex RTA framework, a system has an advanced controller (AC) and a reversionary controller (RC). The system is allowed to operate with the AC until a runtime monitor detects that some property has been violated and then the RC takes over. Assuming that the sample rate of the monitor will detect improper functioning with enough time for the RC to correct the impending problem, and that the RC is trusted, the system will operate as intended. This use of the simplex RTA framework can allow for the integration of untrusted, but possibly more performant, controllers in a safe way. This paper presents a formalization of a simplex RTA framework in the Prototype Verification System (PVS) theorem prover using an embedding of differential dynamic logic (DDL) called Plaidypvs. A novel feature of this framework is that it can be instantiated at different levels of abstraction. This feature allows for the formal verification of a system with an untrusted black box component, such as an AI/ML controller. This paper does not address the many difficulties in deploying RTA in an industrial-level system. Instead, the focus is on the formal verification of the simplex RTA framework in the language of hybrid programs. Hybrid programs are programs that include both discrete and continuous dynamics and can be used to model complex cyber-physical systems. Plaidypvs is a tool that enables formalization of hybrid programs in the PVS theorem prover. Plaidypvs enables the verification of the general simplex RTA framework and then, by specializing some components of the hybrid program, verifying instances of the framework while treating the untrusted component as a black box. A selection of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operations are shown as instances of the general RTA framework in PVS. This offers the benefit of design time verification of relevant safety properties to the system, and it also gives requirements on the sample rate of sensors that determine the time interval in which the ‘switch’ property of the RTA framework is checked.

PVS

Aqueous-based recycling of perovskite photovoltaics

Abstract Cumulative silicon photovoltaic (PV) waste highlights the importance of considering waste recycling before the commercialization of emerging PV technologies 1,2 . Perovskite PVs are a promising next-generation technology 3 , in which recycling their end-of-life waste can reduce the toxic waste and retain resources 4,5 . Here we report a low-cost, green-solvent-based holistic recycling strategy to restore all valuable components from perovskite PV waste. We develop an efficient aqueous-based perovskite recycling approach that can also rejuvenate degraded perovskites. We further extend the scope of recycling to charge-transport layers, substrates, cover glasses and metal electrodes. After repeated degradation–recycling processes, the recycled devices show similar efficiency and stability compared with the fresh devices. Our holistic recycling strategy reduces by 96.6% resource depletion and by 68.8% human toxicity (cancer effects) impacts associated with perovskite PVs compared with the landfill treatment. With recycling, the levelized cost of electricity also decreases for both utility-scale and residential systems. This study highlights unique opportunities of perovskite PVs for holistic recycling and paves the way for a sustainable perovskite solar economy.

Science & Technology - Other Topics

Hydrazine-free precursor for solution-processed all-inorganic Se and Se 1− x Te x photovoltaics

Selenium (Se) has reemerged as a promising absorber material for indoor and tandem photovoltaics (PVs), and its alloys with Te (Se 1−x Te x ) offer a widely tunable bandgap. Solution processing of this materials system offers a route to low-cost fabrication. However, solution processing of Se has, thus far, only used hydrazine, which is an extremely hazardous solvent. In this work, we prepare and isolate propylammonium poly-Se and poly-Se–Te precursors from a safer thiol-amine solvent system. We formulate molecular inks by dissolving the precursor in dimethylformamide (DMF) with a monoethanolamine (EA) additive and process high-quality Se and Se 1−x Te x films with bandgaps ranging from 1.20 eV to 1.86 eV. We fabricate PVs from these films using TiO 2 and MoO 3 charge transport layers (CTLs) to achieve power conversion efficiencies as high as 2.73% for Se and 2.33% for Se 0.7 Te 0.3 under solar simulation. Se devices show excellent stability with no degradation after 1 month in air, enabled by the excellent stability of Se and the use of inorganic CTLs. This work represents an important step towards low-cost solution-phase processing of Se and Se 1−x Te x alloys for PVs and photodetectors with low toxicity and high bandgap tunability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Distribution System Resilience Assessment Considering PV Vulnerabilities for Hurricane Events

Distribution networks are increasingly vulnerable to damage and outages from extreme weather events. The integration of solar photovoltaics (PVs) further complicates resilience analysis due to its weather-dependent nature. However, limited research has examined the impacts of weather on PVs under severe events like hurricanes. This paper proposes a probabilistic framework to assess distribution system resilience considering PV vulnerabilities during hurricanes. The framework incorporates (i) a spatiotemporal fragility model to evaluate failure probabilities for distribution lines and PVs, and (ii) resilience indices at both system and component levels. The approach offers valuable insights into the resilience of modern distribution grids under extreme weather conditions. Numerical results on the unbalanced IEEE 123-bus test system validate the effectiveness of the framework.

Vahedi, Soroush [University of Connecticut, Storrs

A Two-Stage Approach for PV Inverter Engagement in Power Factor Correction and Voltage Regulation

The rapid integration of distributed energy resources, like solar photovoltaics (PVs), can lead to overvolt-age challenges due to reverse power flow and a noticeable decrease in power factor at the substation interface. While existing literature extensively explores utilizing smart inverter capabilities for reactive power flexibility using a volt-var curve (VVC), obtaining time-varying operating points of such curves in real-time is challenging due to computational demands and communication requirements. Similarly, employing optimization-based approaches for reactive power control and active voltage regulation in large-scale distribution feeders is difficult due to the complexity of the problem and the challenges in effectively engaging customer-owned resources. This paper proposes a two-stage strategy to harness smart inverters for reactive power support. The first stage formulates short-term planning by optimally designing VVCs (on a daily or hourly basis) for large-scale solar PVs based on projected system needs and communicating optimal curves to smart inverters in advance. Subsequently, the second stage employs a transactive-based method to involve customer-owned PVs for reactive power support, effectively enhancing overall system performance and addressing real-time demands. In conclusion, the efficacy of this approach will be demonstrated using real-world distribution circuits provided by Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) and Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC).

Poudel, Shiva [Pacific Northwest National Laborato