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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alt-Ergo | 1/1 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alt-Ergo | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T12:13:04.106916+00:00 | kb-cron |
Alt-Ergo, an automatic solver for mathematical formulas, is mainly used in formal program verification. It operates on the principle of satisfiability modulo theories (SMT). Development was undertaken by researchers at the Paris-Sud University, Laboratoire de Recherche en Informatique, Inria Saclay Ile-de-France, and CNRS. Since 2013, project management and oversight has been conducted by OCamlPro company. It is released under the free and open-source software CeCILL-C license.
== Technologies ==
=== Design choices === Alt-Ergo employs a specialized input language with prenex polymorphism, designed to reduce the number of axioms requiring quantification and to simplify the complexity of problems. While Alt-Ergo offers partial support for the SMT-LIB 2 language, its efficiency with SMT files is comparatively limited.
=== Main components === The core architecture of Alt-Ergo comprises three main elements: a depth-first search (DFS)-based SAT solver, a quantifiers instantiation engine that uses e-matching, and an assembly of decision procedures for a range of built-in theories. These components collectively enable Alt-Ergo's abilities in automatic formula solving.
=== Built-in theories === Alt-Ergo implements (semi-)decision procedures for the following theories:
Empty theory Linear integer arithmetic Linear rational arithmetic Non-linear arithmetic Floating point arithmetic Polymorphic arrays Enumerated data types AC symbols Record data types
== Industrial uses == Several verification platforms are built on Alt-Ergo:
Why3, a platform for deductive program verification, uses Alt-Ergo as main prover CAVEAT, a C-verifier developed by CEA and used by Airbus; Alt-Ergo was included in the qualification DO-178C of one of its aircraft Frama-C, a framework to analyse C-code, uses Alt-Ergo in the Jessie and WP plugins (dedicated to deductive program verification) SPARK, uses Alt-Ergo (behind GNATprove) to automate the verification of some assertions in Spark 2014 Atelier-B can use Alt-Ergo instead of its main prover (raising success from 84% to 98% on ANR Bware project benchmarks) Rodin, a B-method framework developed by Systerel, can use Alt-Ergo as a back-end Cubicle, an open source model checker to verify safety properties of array-based transition systems EasyCrypt, a toolset for reasoning about relational properties of probabilistic computations with adversarial code BWARE Cafein FUI Hi-Lite Decert ADT Alt-Ergo A3PAT
== See also ==
Formal verification Z3 Theorem Prover
== References ==
== External links == Official website, OcamlPro Alt-Ergo at LRI