Definition
Plain language
A program-translating tool that comes with a proof it never mistranslates your code.
As stated in the literature
A formally verified optimizing C compiler with a machine-checked proof that compiled output preserves the semantics of the source program.
Why it matters: It shows that even complex software like a compiler can carry a proof of correctness, so subtle translation bugs simply cannot slip through.
For example, it can translate a C program into machine code and come with a mathematical guarantee that the translated program does exactly what the original said.
Heard on the show
“The seL4 microkernel, CompCert — a verified C compiler — IronFleet for distributed consensus, Chapar for causally-consistent storage.”Episode 075 — Growing Code and Proof Together: Verified Systems in Ten Hours Instead of a Year