Mechanized formal methods: Progress and prospects

Abstract

In the decade of the 1990s, formal methods have progressed from an academic curiosity at best, and a target of ridicule at worst, to a point where the leading manufacturer of microprocessors has indicated that its next design will be formally verified. In this short paper, I sketch a plausible history of the developments that led to this transformation, present a snapshot of the current state of the practice, and indicate some promising directions for the future. Mindful of the title of this conference, I suggest how formal methods might have an impact on software similar to that which they have had on hardware.