Modularly Combining Numeric Abstract Domains with Points-to Analysis, and a Scalable Static Numeric Analyzer for Java

This paper contributes to a new abstract domain that combines static numeric analysis and points-to analysis. One particularity of this abstract domain lies in its high degree of modularity, in the sense that the domain is constructed by reusing its combined components as black-boxes. This modularity dramatically eases the proof of its soundness and renders its algorithm intuitive. We have prototyped the abstract domain for analyzing real-world Java programs. Our experimental results show a tangible precision enhancement compared to what is possible by traditional static numeric analysis, and this at a cost that is comparable to the cost of running the numeric and pointer analyses separately.