# Integers

[Back to all operators]

The integer literals belong to the core language. They are written by using the standard syntax: 0, 1, -1, 2, -2, 3, -3, ... Importantly, TLA+ integers are unbounded. They do not have any fixed bit width, and they cannot overflow. In Apalache, these literals have the type Int.

The integer operators are defined in the standard module Integers. To use it, write the EXTENDS clause in the first lines of your module. Like this:

---- MODULE MyArithmetics ----
EXTENDS Integers
...
==============================


## Integers in Apalache and SMT

Although you can write arbitrary expressions over integers in TLA+, Apalache translates these expressions as constraints in SMT. Some expressions are easier to solve than the others. For instance, the expression 2 * x > 5 belongs to linear integer arithmetic, which can be solved more efficiently than general arithmetic. For state variables x and y, the expression x * y > 5 belongs to non-linear integer arithmetic, which is harder to solve than linear arithmetic.

When your specification is using only integer literals, e.g., 1, 2, 42, but none of the operators from the Integers module, the integers can be avoided altogether. For instance, you can replace the integer constants with string constants, e.g., "1", "2", "42". The string constants are translated as constants in the SMT constraints. This simple trick may bring your specification into a much simpler theory. Sometimes, this trick allows z3 to use parallel algorithms.

## Constants

The module Integers defines two constant sets (technically, they are operators without arguments):

• The set Int that consists of all integers. This set is infinite. In Apalache, the set Int has the type Set(Int). A bit confusing, right? 😎
• The set Nat that consists of all natural numbers, that is, Nat contains every integer x that has the property x >= 0. This set is infinite. In Apalache, the set Nat has the type... Set(Int).

## Operators

### Integer range

Notation: a..b

LaTeX notation: a..b

Arguments: Two arguments. The result is only defined when both arguments are evaluated to integer values.

Apalache type: (Int, Int) => Set(Int).

Effect: a..b evaluates to the finite set {i \in Int: a <= i /\ i <= b}, that is, the set of all integers in the range from a to b, including a and b. If a > b, then a..b is the empty set {}.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if one of the arguments evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error.

Example in TLA+:

  0..10    \* { 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 }
-5..3    \* { -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 }
10..0    \* { }
"a".."z" \* runtime error in TLC, type error in Apalache
{1}..{3} \* runtime error in TLC, type error in Apalache


Example in Python: a..b can be written as set(range(a, b + 1)) in python.

>>> set(range(0, 10 + 1))
{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
>>> set(range(10, 2))
set()



### Unary integer negation

Notation: -i

LaTeX notation: -i

Arguments: One argument. The result is only defined when the argument evaluates to an integer.

Apalache type: Int => Int.

Effect: -i evaluates to the negation of i.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if the argument evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error.

Example in TLA+:

  -(5)    \* -5, note that '-5' is just a literal, not operator application
-(-5)   \* 5
-x      \* negated value of x


Example in Python:

>>> -(5)
-5
>>> -(-5)
5



Notation: a + b

LaTeX notation: a + b

Arguments: Two arguments. The result is only defined when both arguments are evaluated to integer values.

Apalache type: (Int, Int) => Int.

Effect: a + b evaluates to the sum of a and b.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: No overflow is possible. In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if one of the arguments evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error.

Example in TLA+:

  5 + 3     \* 8
(-5) + 3  \* -2


Example in Python:

>>> 5 + 3
8
>>> (-5) + 3
-2



### Integer subtraction

Notation: a - b

LaTeX notation: a - b

Arguments: Two arguments. The result is only defined when both arguments are evaluated to integer values.

Apalache type: (Int, Int) => Int.

Effect: a - b evaluates to the difference of a and b.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: No overflow is possible. In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if one of the arguments evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error.

Example in TLA+:

  5 - 3         \* 2
(-5) - 3      \* -8
(-5) - (-3)   \* -2


Example in Python:

>>> 5 - 3
2
>>> (-5) - 3
-8
>>> (-5) - (-3)
-2



### Integer multiplication

Notation: a * b

LaTeX notation: a * b

Arguments: Two arguments. The result is only defined when both arguments are evaluated to integer values.

Apalache type: (Int, Int) => Int.

Effect: a * b evaluates to the product of a and b.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: No overflow is possible. In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if one of the arguments evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error.

Example in TLA+:

  5 * 3     \* 15
(-5) * 3  \* -15


Example in Python:

>>> 5 * 3
15
>>> (-5) * 3
-15



### Integer division

Notation: a \div b

LaTeX notation:

Arguments: Two arguments. The result is only defined when both arguments are evaluated to integer values, and the second argument is different from 0.

Apalache type: (Int, Int) => Int.

Effect: a \div b is defined as follows:

1. When a >= 0 and b > 0, then the result of a \div b is the integer c that has the property: a = b * c + d for some d in 0..(b-1).
2. When a < 0 and b > 0, then the result of a \div b is the integer c that has the property: a = b * c + d for some d in 0..(b-1).
3. When a >= 0 and b < 0, then the result of a \div b is the integer c that has the property: a = b * c + d for some d in 0..(-b-1).
4. When a < 0 and b < 0, then the result of a \div b is the integer c that has the property: a = b * c + d for some d in 0..(-b-1).

When a < 0 or b < 0, the result of the integer division a \div b according to the TLA+ definition is different from the integer division a / b in the programming languages (C, Java, Scala, Rust). See the table below.

C (clang 12)Scala 2.13RustPython 3.8.6TLA+ (TLC)SMT (z3 4.8.8)
100 / 3 == 33100 / 3 == 33100 / 3 == 33100 // 3 == 33(100 \div 3) = 33(assert (= 33 (div 100 3)))
-100 / 3 == -33-100 / 3 == -33-100 / 3 == -33-100 // 3 == -34((-100) \div 3) = -34(assert (= (- 0 34) (div (- 0 100) 3)))
100 / (-3) == -33100 / (-3) == -33100 / (-3) == -33100 // (-3) == -34(100 \div (-3)) = -34(assert (= (- 0 33) (div 100 (- 0 3))))
-100 / (-3) == 33-100 / (-3) == 33-100 / (-3) == 33-100 // (-3) == 33((-100) \div (-3)) = 33(assert (= 34 (div (- 0 100) (- 0 3))))

Unfortunately, Specifying Systems only gives us the definition for the case b > 0 (that is, cases 1-2 in our description). The implementation in SMT and TLC produce incompatible results for b < 0. See issue #331 in Apalache.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: No overflow is possible. In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if one of the arguments evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error. The value of a \div b is undefined for b = 0.

Example in TLA+: Here are the examples for the four combinations of signs (according to TLC):

    100  \div   3   \*  33
(-100) \div   3   \* -34
100  \div (-3)  \* -34 in TLC
(-100) \div (-3)  \*  33 in TLC


Example in Python: Here are the examples for the four combinations of signs to produce the same results as in TLA+:

>>> 100    //   3
33
>>> -100   //   3
-34
>>> 100    // (-3)
-34
>>> (-100) // (-3)
33



### Integer remainder

Notation: a % b

LaTeX notation: a % b

Arguments: Two arguments. The result is only defined when both arguments are evaluated to integer values, and the second argument is different from 0.

Apalache type: (Int, Int) => Int.

Effect: a % b is the number c that has the property: a = b * (a \div b) + c.

Note that when a < 0 or b < 0, the result of the integer remainder a % b according to the TLA+ definition is different from the integer remainder a % b in the programming languages (C, Python, Java, Scala, Rust). See the examples below.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: No overflow is possible. In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if one of the arguments evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error. The value of a % b is undefined for b = 0.

Example in TLA+: Here are the examples for the four combinations of signs:

  100  % 3      \* 1
-100 % (-3)   \* 2
100  % (-3)   \* 1
-100 % 3      \* 2


Example in Python: Here are the examples for the four combinations of signs to produce the same results as in TLA+:

>>> 100 % 3
1
>>> -100 % (-3) + 3
2
>>> 100 % (-3) + 3
1
>>> -100 % 3
2



### Integer exponentiation

Notation: a^b

LaTeX notation:

Arguments: Two arguments. The result is only defined when both arguments are evaluated to integer values, and these values fall into one of the several cases:

1. b > 0,
2. b = 0 and a /= 0.

Apalache type: (Int, Int) => Int.

Effect: a^b evaluates to a raised to the b-th power:

• If b = 1, then a^b is defined as a.
• If a = 0 and b > 0, then a^b is defined as 0.
• If a /= 0 and b > 1, then a^b is defined as a * a^(b-1).
• In all other cases, a^b is undefined.

In TLA+, a^b extends to reals, see Chapter 18 in Specifying Systems. For instance, 3^(-5) is defined on reals. However, reals are supported neither by TLC, nor by Apalache.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: No overflow is possible. In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if one of the arguments evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error.

Example in TLA+:

  5^3       \* 125
(-5)^3    \* -125
0^3       \* 0
1^5       \* 1
(-1)^5    \* -1
0^0       \* undefined on integers, TLC reports a runtime error
5^(-3)    \* undefined on integers, TLC reports a runtime error


Example in Python:

>>> 5 ** 3
125
>>> (-5) ** 3
-125
>>> 0 ** 3
0
>>> 1 ** 5
1
>>> (-1) ** 5
-1
>>> 0 ** 0
1
>>> 5 ** (-3)
0.008



### Integer less-than

Notation: a < b

LaTeX notation: a < b

Arguments: Two arguments. The result is only defined when both arguments are evaluated to integer values.

Apalache type: (Int, Int) => Bool.

Effect: a < b evaluates to:

• TRUE, if a is less than b,
• FALSE, otherwise.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if one of the arguments evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error.

Example in TLA+:

  1 < 5     \* TRUE
5 < 5     \* FALSE
5 < 1     \* FALSE


Example in Python:

>>> 1 < 5
True
>>> 5 < 5
False
>>> 5 < 1
False



### Integer less-than-or-equal

Notation: a <= b or a =< b or a \leq b

LaTeX notation:

Arguments: Two arguments. The result is only defined when both arguments are evaluated to integer values.

Apalache type: (Int, Int) => Bool.

Effect: a <= b evaluates to:

• TRUE, if a < b or a = b.
• FALSE, otherwise.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: No overflow is possible. In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if one of the arguments evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error.

Example in TLA+:

  1 <= 5     \* TRUE
5 <= 5     \* TRUE
5 <= 1     \* FALSE


Example in Python:

>>> 1 <= 5
True
>>> 5 <= 5
True
>>> 5 <= 1
False



### Integer greater-than

Notation: a > b

LaTeX notation: a > b

Arguments: Two arguments. The result is only defined when both arguments are evaluated to integer values.

Apalache type: (Int, Int) => Bool.

Effect: a > b evaluates to:

• TRUE, if a is greater than b,
• FALSE, otherwise.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: No overflow is possible. In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if one of the arguments evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error.

Example in TLA+:

  1 > 5     \* FALSE
5 < 5     \* FALSE
5 > 1     \* TRUE


Example in Python:

>>> 1 > 5
False
>>> 5 > 5
False
>>> 5 > 1
True



### Integer greater-than-or-equal

Notation: a >= b or a \geq b

LaTeX notation:

Arguments: Two arguments. The result is only defined when both arguments are evaluated to integer values.

Apalache type: (Int, Int) => Bool.

Effect: a >= b evaluates to:

• TRUE, if a > b or a = b.
• FALSE, otherwise.

Determinism: Deterministic.

Errors: No overflow is possible. In pure TLA+, the result is undefined if one of the arguments evaluates to a non-integer value. In this case, Apalache statically reports a type error, whereas TLC reports a runtime error.

Example in TLA+:

  1 >= 5     \* FALSE
5 >= 5     \* TRUE
5 >= 1     \* TRUE


Example in Python:

>>> 1 >= 5
False
>>> 5 >= 5
True
>>> 5 >= 1
True



### Equality and inequality

The operators a = b and a /= b are core operators of TLA+ and thus they are not defined in the module Integers, see Logic.