Can Refinement be automated?

erschienen 2008 in E. Boiten, J. Derrick and G. Smith (eds.): International Refinement Workshop - Refine 2007, ENTCS.
volume 201, pp. 53-73, 2008.

Abstract:
We automatically verify Back’s atomicity refinement law and a classical data refinement law for action systems. Our novel approach mechanises a refinement calculus based on Kleene algebras in an off the shelf resolution and paramodulation theorem prover and a counterexample checker with heuristics for hypothesis learning. The proofs are supported by a toolkit of meaningful refinement laws that has also been verified and that, for the first time, allows the automated refinement of programs and software systems, and the verification of further complex refinement laws. This suggests that a substantial proportion of refinement could indeed be automated.