Proof–based synthesis of sorting algorithms for trees

Abstract

We develop various proof techniques for the synthesis of sorting algorithms on binary trees, by extending our previous work on the synthesis of algorithms on lists. Appropriate induction principles are designed and various specific prove-solve methods are experimented, mixing rewriting with assumption-based forward reasoning and goal-based backward reasoning à la Prolog. The proof techniques are implemented in the Theorema system and are used for the automatic synthesis of several algorithms for sorting and for the auxiliary functions, from which we present few here. Moreover we formalize and check some of the algorithms and some of the properties in the Coq system.