I want to write a simple function that finds the biggest number in given Integer array. Here is specification:
package Maximum with SPARK_Mode is
type Vector is array(Integer range <>) of Integer;
function Maximum (A : in Vector) return Integer
with
SPARK_Mode,
Pre => A'Length > 0,
Post =>
(for all i in A'Range => A(i) <= Maximum'Result)
and then
(for some i in A'Range => A(i) = Maximum'Result);
end Maximum;
And here is function's body:
package body Maximum with SPARK_Mode is
function Maximum (A : in Vector) return Integer
is
Max : Integer := A (A'First);
begin
if (A'Length = 1) then
return Max;
end if;
for I in A'First + 1 .. A'Last loop
pragma Loop_Invariant
(for all Index in A'First .. I - 1 => Max >= A(Index));
if A (I) > Max then
Max := A (I);
end if;
end loop;
return Max;
end Maximum;
end Maximum;
And when I try to prove this function with SPARK, it says that postcondition might fail. I'm trying to understand this for like 5 hours now and I have no idea why it says so. It's really annoying, this function MUST work. Do you have any idea why SPARK behaves so strange? What is a data example for this function to not fullfil its postcondition? It always returns a value taken directly from given array and it is always maximal.
Your mistake is to make a loop invariant, which is weaker than the postcondition:
Specification:
package Maximum
with SPARK_Mode
is
type Vector is array (Integer range <>) of Integer;
function Maximum (A : in Vector) return Integer
with
Pre => A'Length > 0,
Post => (for all i in A'Range => A(i) <= Maximum'Result)
and
(for some i in A'Range => A(i) = Maximum'Result);
end Maximum;
Implementation:
package body Maximum with SPARK_Mode is
function Maximum (A : in Vector) return Integer
is
Max : Integer := A (A'First);
begin
if (A'Length = 1) then
return Max;
end if;
for K in A'First + 1 .. A'Last loop
pragma Loop_Invariant
((for all I in A'First .. K - 1 => A (I) <= Max)
and
(for some I in A'First .. K - 1 => A (I) = Max));
if A (K) > Max then
Max := A (K);
end if;
end loop;
return Max;
end Maximum;
end Maximum;
Project file:
project Maximum is
for Main use ("maximum");
end Maximum;