Computational Reflection via Mechanized Logical Deduction

This paper shows how a system for automated deduction can be given computational reflection, i.e. can compute about and affect its own computation mechanism, by using the very same machinery implementing logical deduction. This feature, that we call ‘computational reflection via mechanized logical deduction’, provides both theoretical and practical advantages. First, the theorem prover can inspect, extend and modify its own underlying theorem proving strategies automatically. Second, mechanized logical deduction can be used to reason about the ways these strategies can be extended and modified and to prove correctness statements. This opens up the possibility of building systems that are able to perform correct and safe reflective self-extension and self-modification