# k-Induction¶

k-Induction is a well-known technique for the verification of transition systems. A k-induction engine is composed of two parts: base and step. Base performs bounded model checking on the properties, i.e. checks the base case. Step checks whether it is possible to reach a violation of one of the properties from a trace of states satisfying them: the inductive step.

In Kind 2 base and step run in parallel, and can be enabled separately. Running step alone with

kind2 --enable IND <file>


will not yield anything interesting, as step cannot falsify properties nor prove anything without base. To run the actual k-induction engine, you must enable base (BMC) and step (IND):

kind2 --enable BMC --enable IND <file>


## Options¶

k-Induction can be tweaked with the following options.

--bmc_max <int> (default 0) – sets an upper bound on the number of unrolling base and step will perform. 0 is for unlimited.

--ind_compress <bool> (default false) – activates path compression in step, i.e. counterexamples with a loop will be dismissed. You can activate several path compression strategies:

• --ind_compress_equal <bool> (default true) – compresses states if they are equal modulo inputs

• --ind_compress_same_succ <bool> (default false) – compresses states if they have the same successors (experimental)

• --ind_compress_same_pred <bool> (default false) – compresses states if they have the same predecessors (experimental)

--ind_lazy_invariants <bool> (default false) – deactivates eager use of invariants in step. Instead, when a step counterexample is found each invariant is evaluated on the model until one blocks it. The invariant is then asserted to block the counterexample, and step starts a new check-sat.