Abstraction-based interaction model for synthesis

Abstract

Program synthesis is the problem of computing from a specification a program that implements it. New and popular variations on the synthesis problem accept specifications in formats that are easier for the human synthesis user to provide: input-output example pairs, type information, and partial logical specifications. These are all partial specification formats, encoding only a fraction of the expected behavior of the program, leaving many matching programs. This transition into partial specification also changes the mode of work for the user, who now provides additional specifications as long as they are unhappy with the result. This turns synthesis into an iterative, interactive process. We present a formal model for interactive synthesis, leveraging an abstract domain of predicates on programs in order to describe the iterative refinement of the specifications and reduction of the candidate program space. We use this model to describe the behavior of several real-world synthesizers. Additionally, we present two conditions for termination of a synthesis session, one hinging only on the properties of the available partial specifications, and the other also on the behavior of the user. Finally, we show conditions for realizability of the user’s intent, and show the limitations of backtracking when it is apparent a session will fail.