CLEARSY has contributed to the article “Formal Methods in Industry”, alongside eminent authors who are leading authorities in the field of formal methods. It details CLEARSY’s industrial experience with B Method (https://www.atelierb.eu/en/presentation-of-the-b-method/) as applied to railway systems which is a field where formal rigor is strongly recommended.
Formal methods are mathematical techniques used to rigorously specify and verify systems. They offer guarantees of reliability far superior to conventional testing; however, their adoption in industry remains limited to systems that cannot tolerate any faults. They enable one to mathematically prove that a system satisfies properties and can be used at all stages of development, from requirements and safety principles through to final validation. Tools such as CLEARSY’s Atelier B and the CLEARSY Data Solver demonstrate their practical implementation.
They are now used in many fields, particularly in critical systems such as aerospace and rail, but also in broader sectors. Feedback shows that they improve quality and reduce errors, although they require specialist skills.
Finally, learning to use them develops essential skills such as rigorous reasoning, and their use is expected to continue to grow thanks to improvements in the tools and their gradual integration into industrial practices.
The full article can be found at this link: https://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/3689374