A Formalization of Natural Semantics of Imperative Programming Languages in Coq

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2020-07-09
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en
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In this thesis, we construct a formalization of natural semantics of imperative programming languages in Coq. Speci cally to use in the course Semantics and Correctness. We use already existing formalizations, like Software Foundations [13], to make a formalization that matches the theory and notation used in the course. The formalization covers the topics discussed during the course Semantics and Correctness and a few extensions of While. Then, we construct non-trivial proofs using the framework to show how it should be used. Lastly, we conducted an experiment to test whether the formalization can help students of the course Semantics and Correctness to better understand the proofs. Due to small sample size there are inconclusive results on whether the formalization actually helps the students to better understand the proofs. However, there are many possible improvements possible to make the formalization more useful.
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen