7.1. Introduction to Formal Verification

Try these first

1. 1.

   Define formal verification in your own words.

   Hint

   Think about how it differs from testing by input.

2. 2.

   What are corner cases?

   Hint

   Consider why traditional testing might miss these.

3. 3.

   What does formal verification aim to achieve?

   • Verify properties using random testing
   • Guarantee correctness by exhaustive checking
   • Maximize design complexity

   Hint

   Focus on the primary aim of formal verification versus traditional approaches.

4. 4.

   True or False: Formal verification can guarantee that design properties, once proven, are never valid again.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Think about the implications of changing a design.

5. 5.

   Discuss a real-world hardware design project that benefited from formal verification. What were the specific challenges faced, and how did formal verification address them?

   Hint

   Reflect on critical systems where failure is not an option.

6. 6.

   Given the rapid advancement in hardware complexity, propose methods to mitigate the state explosion problem inherent in formal verification.

   Hint

   Consider dividing the problem into smaller, solvable parts.