Symbolic execution
This wiki entry defines a term used across VSAVM and explains why it matters in the architecture.
The diagram has a transparent background and highlights the operational meaning of the term inside VSAVM.
Related wiki pages: VM, event stream, VSA, bounded closure, consistency contract.
Definition
Symbolic execution runs programs with symbolic inputs, exploring multiple branches while accumulating constraints.
Role in VSAVM
VSAVM uses symbolic execution ideas to manage ambiguity and nondeterminism in interpretation and closure exploration.
Mechanics and implications
Branching makes uncertainty explicit. Robust conclusions must survive across explored branches; conditional conclusions are tied to assumptions. Constraints and closure checks prune or downgrade inconsistent branches under budget.
Further reading
Symbolic execution underpins many verification tools. VSAVM adapts the idea to reasoning about language-derived programs under bounded closure.
References
Symbolic execution (Wikipedia) Program analysis (Wikipedia) Constraint satisfaction (Wikipedia)