CFGKAT: A Complete Calculus for Non-Local Control Flow
CFGKAT is an extension of guarded Kleene Algebra with Tests (GKAT) that adds non-local control flow (e.g., break, goto) while maintaining an efficient decision procedure. An axiomatization of equivalence for CFGKAT presents unique barriers created by the presence of non-local control flow and contextual semantics of goto which compromises compositional reasoning. In this paper, we overcome these barriers and present a sound and complete axiomatization of program equivalence in CFGKAT. We verify the loop case of the Erosa-Hendren goto elimination algorithm, a difficult syntactic metatheorem which requires reasoning about fixpoints, control-flow contexts, and mutable state. We mechanize the metatheory and case study in Rocq.
Authors
- Tobias Kappé (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6068-880X)
- Spencer Van Koevering (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5026-8060)
- Alexandra Silva
- Cheng Zhang
Publication Details
- Journal
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Published
- 2026-11-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2611.14201
- Primary Topic
- Logic, programming, and type systems
- Type
- preprint