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CSE 331�Software Design & Implementation

Summer 2026

Section 4 – Loop Invariants & ADTs

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Specifications for ADTs – Review

  • Terminology for specifying ADTs:
  • Abstract State / Representation (Math)
    • How clients should understand the object
    • Ex: List(nil or cons)

  • Concrete State / Representation (Code)
    • Actual fields of the record and the data stored
    • Ex:

public class List {

final int hd;

final List tl;

}

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State Representations

  • We’ve had different abstract and concrete types all along!
    • in our math, List is an inductive type (abstract)
    • in our code, List is a class with two fields (concrete)

  • Term “this” will refer to abstract state
    • this is the mathematical value that the record represents (similar to a specific instance of a class)

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Internally Documenting ADTs – Review

Abstract Function (AF) – defines what abstract state the field values represent

    • Maps field values → the object they represent
    • Output is math, this is a mathematical function

Representation Invariants (RI) – facts about the field values that must always be true

    • Constructor must always make sure RI is true at runtime
    • Can assume RI is true when reasoning about methods
    • AF only needs to make sense when RI holds
    • Must ensure that RI always holds

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Documenting ADTs – Example

// A list of integers that can retrieve the last element in O(1)

interface FastList {

/**

* Returns the object as a regular list

* @returns this

*/

List toList();

}

class FastLastList implements FastList {

// RI: this.last = last(this.list);

// AF: this = this.list;

// @returns last(this)

int getLast() {

return this.last;

};

}

Hide the representation details (i.e. real fields) from the client

Talk about functions in terms of the abstract state (this)

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Externally Documenting ADTs - Review

  • For mutable ADTs, will have 2 additional tags to describe “mutator” methods

* @modifies states what could be mutated by function (this)

* @effects Detailed description of guaranteed changes

  • JavaDoc comments in interfaces use “tags” to describe what ADT methods do in terms of the abstract state

/**

* High level description of what function does

* @param a What "a" represents + any conditions

* @requires Rules about multiple params and Abstract State (this)

* @returns Detailed description of return value

* @throws Condition when errors will be thrown

*/

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Loop Invariant – Review

  • Loop invariant must be true every time at the top of the loop
    • The first time (before any iterations) and for the beginning of each iteration
  • Also true every time at the bottom of the loop
    • Meaning it’s true immediately after the loop exits
  • During the body of the loop (during S), it isn’t true

  • Must use “Inv” notation to indicate that it’s not a standard assertion

true!

{{Inv: I}}

while (cond) {

S

}

true!

true!

true!

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Question ….

Where is it allowed for a loop invariant not to hold?

  • before the loop

  • after the loop

  • after entering the loop

  • before exiting the loop

  • during the code execution inside of the loop

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Question ….

Where is it allowed for a loop invariant not to hold?

  • before the loop

  • after the loop

  • after entering the loop

  • before exiting the loop

  • during the code execution inside of the loop

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Task 1 - Everybody Loops

Goal:

Show that our loop correctly computes the quotient of x / 10.

I.e., that the loop correctly finds the largest integer y such that 10y ≤ x.

10(y+1) is TOO LARGE.

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Task 1 - Everybody Loops

// Computes the integer quotient of x divided by 10

// @param x The numerator

// @requires x >= 0

// @return The largest integer y such that 10 * y <= x_0

public static int divideByTen(int x) {

{{ x = x_0 and x_0 >= 0 }}

int y = 0;

{{ P1: ______________________________ }}

{{ Inv: x_0 - 10y = x and x >= 0 }}

while (x >= 10) {

{{ ____________________________________ }}

y = y + 1;

{{ __________________________________________ }}

x = x - 10;

{{ P3: _________________________________________________________ }}

{{ Q2: _____________________________ }}

}

{{ P2: _________________________________________ }}

{{ Q1: 10y <= x_0 and x_0 < 10(y+1) and x = x_0 - 10y }}

return y;

}

Task a)

Fill in P1. Then, show that the invariant is true when we get to the top of the loop for the first time.

i.e., show that P1 implies the loop invariant

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Task 1 - Everybody Loops

// Computes the integer quotient of x divided by 10

// @param x The numerator

// @requires x >= 0

// @return The largest integer y such that 10 * y <= x_0

public static int divideByTen(int x) {

{{ x = x_0 and x_0 >= 0 }}

int y = 0;

{{ P1: ______________________________ }}

{{ Inv: x_0 - 10y = x and x >= 0 }}

while (x >= 10) {

{{ ____________________________________ }}

y = y + 1;

{{ __________________________________________ }}

x = x - 10;

{{ P3: _________________________________________________________ }}

{{ Q2: _____________________________ }}

}

{{ P2: _________________________________________ }}

{{ Q1: 10y <= x_0 and x_0 < 10(y+1) and x = x_0 - 10y }}

return y;

}

Task b)

Fill in P2. Then, show that Q1 holds when we exit the loop

i.e., show that P1 implies the loop invariant

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Task 1 - Everybody Loops

// Computes the integer quotient of x divided by 10

// @param x The numerator

// @requires x >= 0

// @return The largest integer y such that 10 * y <= x_0

public static int divideByTen(int x) {

{{ x = x_0 and x_0 >= 0 }}

int y = 0;

{{ P1: ______________________________ }}

{{ Inv: x_0 - 10y = x and x >= 0 }}

while (x >= 10) {

{{ ____________________________________ }}

y = y + 1;

{{ __________________________________________ }}

x = x - 10;

{{ P3: _________________________________________________________ }}

{{ Q2: _____________________________ }}

}

{{ P2: _________________________________________ }}

{{ Q1: 10y <= x_0 and x_0 < 10(y+1) and x = x_0 - 10y }}

return y;

}

Task c)

Fill in Q2. Then, forward reason to P3. Show that P3 implies Q2, proving that the body of the loop is correct.

Hint: What do we know at the end of a loop?

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Task 1 - Everybody Loops

// Computes the integer quotient of x divided by 10

// @param x The numerator

// @requires x >= 0

// @return The largest integer y such that 10 * y <= x_0

public static int divideByTen(int x) {

{{ x = x_0 and x_0 >= 0 }}

int y = 0;

{{ P1: ______________________________ }}

{{ Inv: x_0 - 10y = x and x >= 0 }}

while (x >= 10) {

{{ ____________________________________ }}

y = y + 1;

{{ __________________________________________ }}

x = x - 10;

{{ P3: _________________________________________________________ }}

{{ Q2: _____________________________ }}

}

{{ P2: _________________________________________ }}

{{ Q1: 10y <= x_0 and x_0 < 10(y+1) and x = x_0 - 10y }}

return y;

}

Task c)

Fill in Q2. Then, forward reason to P3. Show that P3 implies Q2, proving that the body of the loop is correct.

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Task 1 - Everybody Loops

// Computes the integer quotient of x divided by 10

// @param x The numerator

// @requires x >= 0

// @return The largest integer y such that 10 * y <= x_0

public static int divideByTen(int x) {

{{ x = x_0 and x_0 >= 0 }}

int y = 0;

{{ P1: ______________________________ }}

{{ Inv: x_0 - 10y = x and x >= 0 }}

while (x >= 10) {

{{ ____________________________________ }}

y = y + 1;

{{ __________________________________________ }}

x = x - 10;

{{ P3: _________________________________________________________ }}

{{ Q2: _____________________________ }}

}

{{ P2: _________________________________________ }}

{{ Q1: 10y <= x_0 and x_0 < 10(y+1) and x = x_0 - 10y }}

return y;

}

Task c)

Fill in Q2. Then, forward reason to P3. Show that P3 implies Q2, proving that the body of the loop is correct.

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Task 1 - Everybody Loops

// Computes the integer quotient of x divided by 10

// @param x The numerator

// @requires x >= 0

// @return The largest integer y such that 10 * y <= x_0

public static int divideByTen(int x) {

{{ x = x_0 and x_0 >= 0 }}

int y = 0;

{{ P1: ______________________________ }}

{{ Inv: x_0 - 10y = x and x >= 0 }}

while (x >= 10) {

{{ ____________________________________ }}

y = y + 1;

{{ __________________________________________ }}

x = x - 10;

{{ P3: _________________________________________________________ }}

{{ Q2: _____________________________ }}

}

{{ P2: _________________________________________ }}

{{ Q1: 10y <= x_0 and x_0 < 10(y+1) and x = x_0 - 10y }}

return y;

}

Task c)

Fill in Q2. Then, forward reason to P3. Show that P3 implies Q2, proving that the body of the loop is correct.

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Array Notation (Review)

  • We use the notation a[i..j] to refer to the elements of an array a from index i (inclusive) to j (exclusive). So a[0..n] is the elements of a at indices 0, 1, ..., n-1.

Other useful facts:

    • A[A.length .. j] = null
    • A[i .. 0] = null
    • A[0 .. i] ⧺ A[i .. A.length]*
    • A[0 .. A.length] = A

*The “⧺” symbol represents concatenation between two lists.

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Task 2 – Rally the Loops

/**

* Writes over each copy of y in A with the value z.

* @param A the array to replace values in

* @param y the value to be replaced in A

* @param z the value to replace y with in A

* @modifies A

* @effects A = A_0 with every instance of y replaced

* with a z

*/

public void replace(int[] A, int y, int z) { .. }

In this problem, we’ll be implementing the following function:

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Task 2 – Rally the Loops

int i = ____________________

// Inv: A[0 .. i] = A_0[0 .. i] with every y replaced with a z

// and A[i .. A.length] = A_0[i .. A.length]

while (________________________________________) {

}

Fill in the missing parts of the code, to make it correct with the given invariant:

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Task 2 – Rally the Loops

int i = ____________________

// Inv: A[0 .. i] = A_0[0 .. i] and A[i .. A.length] =

// A_0[i .. A.length] with every y replaced with a z

while (________________________________________) {

}

Fill in the missing parts of the code, to make it correct with the given invariant:

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Task 3 - Rich AF

Consider three different concrete representations for MutableIntSet:

public class MutableIntSetImpl implements MutableIntSet {

(1) // AF: this = this.elems[0 .. size]

private int[] elems;

private int size;

(2) // AF: this = this.elems[0 .. size]

// RI: this.elems contains no dups

private int[] elems;

private int size;

(3) // AF: this = this.elems[0 .. size]

// RI: this.elems is sorted

private int[] elems;

private int size;

public MutableIntSetImpl(int[] elems) {

this.elems = elems;

this.size = elems.length;

}

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Task 3 - Rich AF

  1. State the concrete representations (1--3) for which it would satisfy the specification of the method in MutableIntSet. Why?

public boolean contains(int n) {

return Arrays.binarySearch(this.elems, n) >= 0;

}

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Task 3 - Rich AF

b) State the concrete representations (1--3) for which it would satisfy the specification of the method in MutableIntSet. Why?

public boolean contains(int n) {

for (int i = 0; i < this.elems.length; i++) {

if (this.elems[i] == n)

return true;

}

return false;

}

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Task 3 - Rich AF

c) State the concrete representations (1--3) for which it would satisfy the specification of the method in MutableIntSet. Why?

public void add(int n) {

if (!this.contains(n)) {

if (size >= this.elems.length) {

int[] temp = new int[size * 2 + 1];

for (int i = 0; i < this.elems.length; i++) {

temp[i] = this.elems[i];

}

this.elems = temp;

}

this.elems[size++] = n;

}

}

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Task 3 - Rich AF

d) State the concrete representations (1--3) for which it would satisfy the specification of the method in MutableIntSet. Why?

public boolean remove(int n) {

for (int i = 0; i < this.elems.length; i++) {

if (this.elems[i] == n) {

size--;

for (int j = i; j < size - 1; j++) {

this.elems[j] = this.elems[j + 1];

}

return true;

}

}

return false;

}

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MutableIntSet ADT

/**

* Represents a **mutable** integer set, or a collection of distinct integers.

*/

public class MutableIntSet {

/**

* Determines whether n is in the set.

* @param n the number to look for in the set

* @return true if n is in the set, false otherwise

*/

public boolean contains(int n);

/**

* Adds n to the set if not already present.

* @param n the number to add to the new set.

* @modifies this

* @effects this is unchanged if this_0 contains n

* otherwise, this contains all of this_0 and n

*/

public void add(int n);

/**

* Removes the desired int from the set.

* @param n The int to remove

* .... To complete in part d

*/

public boolean remove(int n);

}

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Task 4 - Good News and Add News

  1. Would T.add(3) actually change this? If not, why is that allowed when it says @modifies this?

MutableIntSet T = {1, 2, 3}

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Task 4 - Good News and Add News

b) Consider the following static method:

/**

* Adds n to the set if not already present.

* @param old the set to add to

* @param n the number to add to the new set.

* @requires old is not null

* @return a set with n and all of the elements of old.

* If old.contains(n), the new set has all the same elements as 'old'.

*/

public static MutableIntSet add(MutableIntSet old, int n);

Now, consider a call T.add(4). Explain how the operation of MutableIntSet.add differs from that of a call to static add(T, 4) in terms of this.

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Task 4 - Good News and Add News

c) What is the abstract state of 𝑇 after the following code (This is forward reasoning.):

T.add(4);

T.add(2);

T.add(0);

MutableIntSet T = {1, 2, 3}

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Task 4 - Good News and Add News

d) Write a specification for the method remove. You should have two cases - n is in the set, and n is not. Clearly explain how the abstract state changes after the method call and what is returned.

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Fin

Remember to submit your half-sheets!