A method of automatic proof for the specification and verification of protocols

Abstract

In this paper we apply a method of automatic proof to verify some properties of a computer network protocol. The method used is defined as an extension of classical resolution to temporal operators (@@@@), (@@@@), (@@@@) and Until. We define a Precedes operator that is very useful for the specification of protocols. The method has the form of a set of recursive rules. The examples that we give are FIFO and LIFO queues and the alternating bit protocol, and the properties that we verify are livennes properties of the Sender and Receiver processes in order to prove a liveness property of the global system.