Foreword for “Formal Verification: An Essential Toolkit for Modern VLSI Design”

Robert Bentley, Former Director, Formal Verification Center of Expertise, Intel

Complex VLSI designs pervade almost every aspect of modern life. We take for granted the existence of cell phones, or antilock braking systems, or web servers, without even being aware of the technology under the hood. As users or customers, we also take it for granted that these devices will function correctly. The impact of an undetected functional failure can range from mild annoyance to major catastrophe, and the potential cost—to individuals, to companies, to society as a whole—can be immense. As just one example, the Pentium® “FDIV” bug in 1994 resulted in Intel Corporation taking ...

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