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What is a proof checker?

  • A.A system that translates informal arguments into formal derivations
  • B.A component that decides which inference rule should be applied next
  • C.A small program verifying each step of a derivation
  • D.A tool that searches for proofs of conjectures supplied by a user

Answer: C

Because the checker is small it can itself be scrutinised, so trust in a large prover reduces to trust in a few hundred lines. That arrangement is called the de Bruijn criterion. Searching, translating and rule selection belong to the prover rather than the checker. Concentrating the trust in the smallest possible component is a security and assurance principle that applies well beyond theorem proving.

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