SKILL: Proof-Driven Validation (Lean 4)

Capability

Run Lean 4/Lake proof validation with tiered commands (CHECK/VALIDATE/GENERATE/REMEDIATE) and explicit exit codes. Provides formal verification of algorithms, data structures, and critical properties through machine-checked proofs. This skill handles both DESIGN (planning proofs from requirements) and EXECUTION (creating and verifying proofs).

When to Use

• Verifying algorithm correctness (sorting, searching, graph algorithms)
• Proving safety properties (bounds, termination, invariants)
• Formalizing specifications before implementation
• Critical path verification requiring mathematical guarantees
• Documenting design decisions with machine-checked proofs

Inputs

• Working directory with

  lakefile.lean

  or

  .lean

  sources (or requirements for new proofs)
• Lean 4 toolchain installed (via elan)
• Lake build system (bundled with Lean 4)

Preconditions

# Verify Lean 4 toolchain
(command -v lake || command -v lean) >/dev/null || exit 11

# Verify Lean artifacts exist
fd -g 'lakefile.lean' -e lean . >/dev/null || exit 12

Workflow Overview

PLAN -> CREATE -> VERIFY -> REMEDIATE -> SUCCESS
  ^                                         |
  +-----------------------------------------+

1. PLAN: Design proofs from requirements (theorem statements, dependencies)
2. CREATE: Generate .lean files with sorry placeholders
3. VERIFY: lake build, check compilation
4. REMEDIATE: Replace sorry with tactics
5. SUCCESS: Zero sorry, builds clean (exit 0)

Phase 1: PLAN (Design Proofs from Requirements)

Design proof artifacts BEFORE implementation. Proofs guide implementation, not the reverse.

1.1 Understand Requirements

Parse user's task/requirement to identify proof candidates:

• Safety properties: "Bad things never happen" (no crashes, no corruption)
• Liveness properties: "Good things eventually happen" (termination, progress)
• Functional correctness: Algorithms produce correct results for ALL inputs
• Invariants: Properties that must hold throughout execution

1.2 Artifact Detection

Check for existing Lean 4 artifacts:

fd -e lean $ARGUMENTS
fd -g 'lakefile.lean' $ARGUMENTS

• If artifacts exist: analyze coverage gaps, plan extensions
• If no artifacts: proceed to design new proof architecture

1.3 Design Proof Architecture

Use thinking tools to plan the proof structure:

Property Classification:

Critical Path Properties (MUST prove):
- [Property 1]: {description} -> theorem {name}
- [Property 2]: {description} -> theorem {name}

Secondary Properties (Should prove):
- [Property 3]: {description} -> theorem {name}

Test-Only Properties (Too complex to prove):
- [Property 4]: {description} -> property test

Lean 4 Project Structure:

.outline/proofs/
├── lakefile.lean           # Build configuration
├── lean-toolchain          # v4.x.x
└── ProjectProofs/
    ├── Basic.lean          # Core definitions
    ├── Properties.lean     # Theorem statements
    └── Proofs/
        ├── Safety.lean     # Safety proofs
        ├── Liveness.lean   # Termination proofs
        └── Correctness.lean # Functional correctness

1.4 Design Theorem Statements

-- Template for theorem design
namespace ProjectProofs

-- From requirement: {requirement text}
-- Property: {what we're proving}
theorem {property_name} (params : Types) :
  {precondition} -> {postcondition} := by
  sorry  -- Proof to be constructed in CREATE phase

-- Example: Balance never negative
theorem balance_non_negative (acc : Account) (ops : List Operation) :
  valid_operations ops -> (apply_ops acc ops).balance >= 0 := by
  sorry

-- Example: Sort correctness
theorem sort_correct (xs : List Nat) :
  sorted (sort xs) /\ permutation xs (sort xs) := by
  sorry

end ProjectProofs

1.5 Plan Proof Strategies

balance_non_negative

valid_operations

sort_correct

sorted

permutation

Thinking Tool Integration

Use sequential-thinking for:
- Decomposing complex theorems into lemmas
- Planning proof dependencies
- Ordering proof obligations

Use actor-critic-thinking for:
- Challenging proof approaches
- Evaluating alternative tactics
- Assessing proof completeness

Use shannon-thinking for:
- Identifying proof gaps
- Risk of incompleteness
- Tactic selection uncertainty

Phase 2: CREATE (Generate Validation Artifacts)

# Create .outline/proofs directory
mkdir -p .outline/proofs

# Initialize Lake project if needed
test -f .outline/proofs/lakefile.lean || {
  cd .outline/proofs
  lake init proofs
  cd ../..
}

Generate Proof Files from Plan

Create theorem files with

sorry

-- .outline/proofs/{Module}.lean
-- Generated from plan design

import Mathlib.Tactic

/-!
# {Module Name}

## Source Requirements
{traceability from plan}

## Properties Being Proved
{from plan design document}
-/

-- Theorem: {property from plan}
-- Traces to: {requirement reference}
theorem property_name : {statement from plan} := by
  sorry -- To be completed

-- Supporting lemma
lemma helper_lemma : {statement} := by
  sorry

Phase 3: VERIFY (Validation)

Basic (Precondition Check)

# Verify toolchain
(command -v lake || command -v lean) >/dev/null || exit 11

# Verify artifacts exist
fd -g 'lakefile.lean' -e lean .outline/proofs >/dev/null || exit 12

Intermediate (Build Validation)

# Lake project build
cd .outline/proofs && lake build || exit 13

# Standalone files
fd -e lean .outline/proofs -x lean --make {} || exit 13

Advanced (Full Verification)

# Lake project with tests
cd .outline/proofs && lake test || exit 13

# Check for incomplete proofs
rg -n '\bsorry\b' .outline/proofs/ && {
  echo "Incomplete proofs found - proceeding to remediation"
}

Full Verification Sequence

cd .outline/proofs
lake build 2>&1 | tee build.log
SORRY_COUNT=$(rg -c '\bsorry\b' . || echo "0")
echo "Remaining sorry count: $SORRY_COUNT"
test "$SORRY_COUNT" = "0" || exit 13

Phase 4: REMEDIATE (Fix Issues)

Complete

sorry

Placeholders

For each

sorry

rfl

simp

rw [h]

linarith

omega

ring

induction

cases

constructor

use x

exists x

intro h

intros

aesop

decide

native_decide

Resolving

sorry

Step by Step

Step 1: Understand the goal

theorem example_theorem : P := by
  sorry  -- Hover or check goal in editor

Step 2: Try simple tactics first

-- For equalities
theorem eq_example : 1 + 1 = 2 := by rfl
theorem eq_example2 (h : a = b) : a = b := h

-- For arithmetic
theorem arith_example (x : Nat) (h : x > 0) : x >= 1 := by omega

-- For logic
theorem logic_example : P or not P := by decide  -- if decidable

Step 3: Use case analysis or induction

theorem induct_example : forall n : Nat, n + 0 = n := by
  intro n
  induction n with
  | zero => rfl
  | succ n ih => simp [Nat.succ_add, ih]

Step 4: Add intermediate lemmas

theorem complex_theorem : P := by
  have h1 : Q := by exact proof_of_Q
  have h2 : Q -> P := by exact proof_of_implication
  exact h2 h1

Termination Hints

-- Explicit termination measure
def factorial : Nat -> Nat
  | 0 => 1
  | n + 1 => (n + 1) * factorial n
termination_by n => n

-- Custom well-founded relation
def ackermann : Nat -> Nat -> Nat
  | 0, m => m + 1
  | n + 1, 0 => ackermann n 1
  | n + 1, m + 1 => ackermann n (ackermann (n + 1) m)
termination_by n m => (n, m)

-- Decreasing proof
def merge : List a -> List a -> List a
  | [], ys => ys
  | xs, [] => xs
  | x :: xs, y :: ys =>
    if x <= y then x :: merge xs (y :: ys)
    else y :: merge (x :: xs) ys
termination_by xs ys => xs.length + ys.length

Commands Reference

Basic Commands

(command -v lake || command -v lean) >/dev/null || exit 11

test -f lakefile.lean && lake test || fd -e lean -x lean --make {}

test -f lakefile.lean && lake build || fd -e lean -x lean --make {}

rg -n '\\bsorry\\b' . && exit 13 || exit 0

Lake Commands Reference

# Initialize new project
lake init <project-name>

# Build and verify all proofs
lake build

# Build specific target
lake build <package>:<target>

# Check file without building dependencies
lake env lean --run src/Proofs.lean

# Interactive proof development (LSP mode)
lake env lean --server

# Update dependencies
lake update

# Clean build artifacts
lake clean

# Run tests
lake test

# Generate documentation
lake build :docs

Quick Validation Pipeline

# Full verification
lake build && rg -c '\bsorry\b' . && exit 13 || echo "All proofs verified"

Tactic Selection Decision Tree

Use this guide to select the appropriate tactic for your proof goal:

a = a

rfl

a = b

rw [h]

simp only [...]

simp

linarith

omega

ring

decide

cases x

induction x

exact <witness, proof>

aesop

have h : T := proof

Complete Tactics Reference

-- Introduction
intro h          -- Introduce hypothesis
intros           -- Introduce all binders

-- Application
apply f          -- Apply function/lemma to goal
exact e          -- Provide exact proof term
constructor      -- Apply data constructor

-- Rewriting
rw [eq]          -- Rewrite using equality
simp [lemmas]    -- Simplify using lemmas
simp only [...]  -- Controlled simplification (preferred)

-- Case/Induction
cases x          -- Case split on x
induction x      -- Induction on x
  | base => ...  -- Base case
  | step ih => ...  -- Inductive case with hypothesis

-- Local context
have h : T := e  -- Add hypothesis to context
let x := e       -- Local definition

-- Automation
aesop            -- Automated proof search
linarith         -- Linear arithmetic
omega            -- Nonlinear integer arithmetic
ring             -- Polynomial ring identity
decide           -- Computational decision
norm_num         -- Numeric simplification

-- Meta
sorry            -- Placeholder (MUST eliminate before shipping)

Proof Organization Patterns

Module Structure Template

-- .outline/proofs/Algorithm.lean

import Mathlib.Tactic

/-!
# Algorithm Correctness

## Properties to Prove
- Termination: All recursive calls decrease
- Correctness: Output matches specification
- Efficiency: Bounded by O(n log n)

## Theorem Hierarchy
  Termination
    +-- helper_decreases
    +-- base_case_terminates
  Correctness
    +-- correctness_on_empty
    +-- correctness_on_single
    +-- correctness_main
-/

-- Supporting lemma (prove first)
lemma helper_lemma : forall n, P n := by
  intro n
  sorry

-- Main theorem (depends on lemma)
theorem main_property : forall xs, correct xs := by
  intro xs
  induction xs with
  | nil => simp [helper_lemma]
  | cons x xs ih =>
    -- Use helper_lemma and inductive hypothesis
    sorry

Proof by Induction Template

theorem prop : forall n, P n := by
  intro n
  induction n with
  | zero =>
    -- Base case: prove P 0
    simp [definition]
  | succ n ih =>  -- ih : P n
    -- Inductive case: use ih to prove P (n + 1)
    rw [definition]
    exact ih  -- or apply helper lemmas

Proof by Cases Template

theorem prop (h : x = a or x = b) : Q x := by
  cases h with
  | inl h_eq =>
    -- Case: x = a, h : x = a
    rw [h_eq]
    sorry
  | inr h_eq =>
    -- Case: x = b, h : x = b
    rw [h_eq]
    sorry

Exit Codes

elan

.lean

sorry

Troubleshooting Guide

Common Issues

elan install

brew install lean4

.outline/proofs/

sorry

sorry

unknown identifier

import Mathlib.Tactic

type mismatch

failed to prove termination

termination_by

maximum recursion depth exceeded

simp only [...]

simp

tactic 'aesop' failed

have

Tactic Selection Decision Tree (Troubleshooting)

Goal Shape -> Recommended Tactic
---------------------------------
a = a                         -> rfl (try first)
rewrite with known eq h       -> rw [h]
trivial simplification        -> simp only [lemma1, lemma2]
linear arithmetic             -> linarith
nonlinear integer             -> omega
ring/field identity           -> ring
decidable goal (small)        -> decide
case analysis on x            -> cases x
structural induction on n     -> induction n
exists goal                   -> exact (witness, proof)
need intermediate fact        -> have h : T := proof
stuck (last resort)           -> aesop (watch for timeouts)

Debugging Commands

# Interactive debugging in Lean REPL
cd .outline/proofs && lake env lean --run Main.lean

# Check specific theorem interactively
#check theorem_name
#print theorem_name
#reduce expression

# Evaluate expressions
#eval 1 + 1
#eval decide (2 < 3)

# Find tactics/theorems
#check @Nat.add_comm
example : 1 + 2 = 2 + 1 := Nat.add_comm 1 2

# Verbose build with error details
lake build --verbose 2>&1 | tee debug.log

# Find all incomplete proofs
rg -n '\bsorry\b' .outline/proofs/

# Check specific file for errors
lean --make .outline/proofs/Module.lean 2>&1

# Lake clean rebuild
lake clean && lake build

Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Pitfall 1: Stuck Proofs with

sorry

Problem: Goal won't close; using

sorry

Solution:

-- Add debugging
theorem stuck : P := by
  intro x
  -- Debug: inspect goal and context
  trace "{x}"
  sorry

-- Use exploration commands in REPL
#check expr        -- Verify type
#eval expr         -- Compute value (if decidable)
#reduce expr       -- Full reduction

Pitfall 2: Type Mismatch

Problem:

rw [h]

Solution:

-- Bad: assumes h : a = b but need different form
theorem foo (h : f a = f b) : P := by
  rw [h]  -- Error: type mismatch

-- Good: derive what you need first
theorem foo (h : f a = f b) : P := by
  have : a = b := sorry  -- Derive needed form
  rw [this]

Pitfall 3: Non-Termination

Problem: Recursion doesn't terminate; build hangs.

Solution:

-- Add explicit termination measure
def foo (n : Nat) : P := by
  induction n with
  | zero => rfl
  | succ n ih => simp [ih]
  termination_by n  -- Explicit measure

Pitfall 4: Over-Generalization with

simp

Problem:

simp

Solution:

-- Bad: simp alone is unpredictable
theorem foo : P := by simp  -- Might fail later

-- Good: be explicit
theorem foo : P := by
  simp only [definition]  -- Only specific lemmas
  exact bar

Performance Tips

Avoid Exponential Blowup

-- SLOW: simp with many lemmas
theorem slow : P := by
  simp [a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, ...]  -- Can timeout

-- FAST: targeted simplification
theorem fast : P := by
  simp only [a, b]
  rw [c]
  exact d

Use

decide

Sparingly

-- OK for small goals
theorem small : 2 + 2 = 4 := by decide

-- AVOID for large computations
-- theorem big : fib 100 = ... := by decide  -- Very slow!

Increase Timeout for Complex Proofs

set_option maxHeartbeats 100000  -- Increase solver timeout

Style Guidelines

1. by

   placement: Same line or next line with indent

   -- GOOD
   theorem foo : P := by rfl
   
   -- GOOD (multi-line)
   theorem foo : P := by
     intro x
     simp
   

2. Indentation: 2 spaces; consistent for focused subgoals

   theorem foo : P and Q := by
     constructor
     . -- Subgoal 1: P
       simp
     . -- Subgoal 2: Q
       exact bar
   

3. Naming:

   property + qualifier

   • add_assoc

     ,

     list_append_length

   • helper_preserves_invariant

   • Avoid:

     l1

     ,

     aux

     ,

     temp

When NOT to Use Proof-Driven Development

Complementary Approaches

• Type-driven + Proof-driven: Use Idris 2 for implementation types, Lean 4 for complex invariants
• Validation-first + Proof-driven: Quint for state machine, Lean 4 for mathematical properties
• Test-driven + Proof-driven: Property tests for exploration, proofs for critical invariants

Integration Points

• Quint: Verify Quint-specified properties in Lean 4
• Rust: Translate verified algorithms to Rust implementation
• Testing: Generate test cases from proof traces

Safety

• Read-only operations; no file mutations during validation
• Abort on exit >= 11 or if safety concerns raised (code 3)
• Proofs are machine-checked; no runtime overhead

Output Report

Provide:

• Files created in

  .outline/proofs/

• Build status (pass/fail)

• sorry

  count before/after remediation
• Theorem verification status
• Traceability update (requirement -> theorem -> proof status)

Resources

• Theorem Proving in Lean 4
• Mathlib Documentation
• Lean 4 Tactics Guide