formalizeaz

Formalizeaz, often stylized FormalizeAZ, is a software framework intended to help organizations capture informal knowledge, rules, and processes and express them as formal specifications suitable for automated verification. The project aims to bridge the gap between domain experts and formal methods by providing approachable modeling constructs and tooling.

Core components include a declarative specification language, a model-checking engine, and interfaces to proof assistants. The framework also provides domain templates, a library of reusable patterns, and round-trip tooling to align formal models with documentation and requirements. Models are designed to be modular, enabling composition of submodels and versioned evolution.

Workflow typically begins with domain modeling in the FormalizeAZ language, followed by verification of properties such as safety, liveness, or regulatory compliance. Results can be exported to standard formats, integrated into continuous integration pipelines, and used to generate documentation or test cases.

Applications span software verification, safety-critical systems, regulatory compliance, business process management, and data governance. Proponents emphasize traceability from requirements to proofs and tests, as well as the ability to reuse model components across projects.

FormalizeAZ is described here as a community-driven project with an open-source license and governance that relies on contributor participation. As with other formalization tools, practical success depends on capturing accurate domain models and choosing appropriate levels of abstraction. This article describes a hypothetical project named FormalizeAZ for illustrative purposes.