Milawa is a "self-verifying" theorem prover for an ACL2-like logic.
We begin with a simple proof checker, call it A, which is short enough to verify by the "social process" of mathematics.
We then develop a series of increasingly powerful proof checkers, call them B, C, D, and so on. We show that each of these is sound: they accept only the same formulas as A. We use A to verify B, and B to verify C, and so on. Then, since we trust A, and A says B is sound, we can trust B, and so on for C, D, and the rest.
Our final proof checker is really a theorem prover; it can carry out a goal-directed proof search using assumptions, calculation, rewrite rules, and so on. We use this theorem prover to discover the proofs of soundness for B, C, and so on, and to emit these proofs in a format that A can check. Hence, "self verifying."
Milawa is distributed as part of the ACL2 Books (under projects/milawa).
For documentation on how to compile Milawa, bootstrap its proofs, and check the resulting proofs, see Projects/Milawa in the ACL2 Books User Manual.
Contact: jared.c.davis@gmail.com
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No 0429591. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
This material is based upon work supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under Contract NBCH30390004.