21,697 research outputs found
Towards modular verification of pathways: fairness and assumptions
Modular verification is a technique used to face the state explosion problem
often encountered in the verification of properties of complex systems such as
concurrent interactive systems. The modular approach is based on the
observation that properties of interest often concern a rather small portion of
the system. As a consequence, reduced models can be constructed which
approximate the overall system behaviour thus allowing more efficient
verification.
Biochemical pathways can be seen as complex concurrent interactive systems.
Consequently, verification of their properties is often computationally very
expensive and could take advantage of the modular approach.
In this paper we report preliminary results on the development of a modular
verification framework for biochemical pathways. We view biochemical pathways
as concurrent systems of reactions competing for molecular resources. A modular
verification technique could be based on reduced models containing only
reactions involving molecular resources of interest.
For a proper description of the system behaviour we argue that it is
essential to consider a suitable notion of fairness, which is a
well-established notion in concurrency theory but novel in the field of pathway
modelling. We propose a modelling approach that includes fairness and we
identify the assumptions under which verification of properties can be done in
a modular way.
We prove the correctness of the approach and demonstrate it on the model of
the EGF receptor-induced MAP kinase cascade by Schoeberl et al.Comment: In Proceedings MeCBIC 2012, arXiv:1211.347
Explicit fairness in testing semantics
In this paper we investigate fair computations in the pi-calculus. Following
Costa and Stirling's approach for CCS-like languages, we consider a method to
label process actions in order to filter out unfair computations. We contrast
the existing fair-testing notion with those that naturally arise by imposing
weak and strong fairness. This comparison provides insight about the
expressiveness of the various `fair' testing semantics and about their
discriminating power.Comment: 27 pages, 1 figure, appeared in LMC
Using Indexed and Synchronous Events to Model and Validate Cyber-Physical Systems
Timed Transition Models (TTMs) are event-based descriptions for modelling,
specifying, and verifying discrete real-time systems. An event can be
spontaneous, fair, or timed with specified bounds. TTMs have a textual syntax,
an operational semantics, and an automated tool supporting linear-time temporal
logic. We extend TTMs and its tool with two novel modelling features for
writing high-level specifications: indexed events and synchronous events.
Indexed events allow for concise description of behaviour common to a set of
actors. The indexing construct allows us to select a specific actor and to
specify a temporal property for that actor. We use indexed events to validate
the requirements of a train control system. Synchronous events allow developers
to decompose simultaneous state updates into actions of separate events. To
specify the intended data flow among synchronized actions, we use primed
variables to reference the post-state (i.e., one resulted from taking the
synchronized actions). The TTM tool automatically infers the data flow from
synchronous events, and reports errors on inconsistencies due to circular data
flow. We use synchronous events to validate part of the requirements of a
nuclear shutdown system. In both case studies, we show how the new notation
facilitates the formal validation of system requirements, and use the TTM tool
to verify safety, liveness, and real-time properties.Comment: In Proceedings ESSS 2015, arXiv:1506.0325
Analysing Mutual Exclusion using Process Algebra with Signals
In contrast to common belief, the Calculus of Communicating Systems (CCS) and
similar process algebras lack the expressive power to accurately capture mutual
exclusion protocols without enriching the language with fairness assumptions.
Adding a fairness assumption to implement a mutual exclusion protocol seems
counter-intuitive. We employ a signalling operator, which can be combined with
CCS, or other process calculi, and show that this minimal extension is
expressive enough to model mutual exclusion: we confirm the correctness of
Peterson's mutual exclusion algorithm for two processes, as well as Lamport's
bakery algorithm, under reasonable assumptions on the underlying memory model.
The correctness of Peterson's algorithm for more than two processes requires
stronger, less realistic assumptions on the underlying memory model.Comment: In Proceedings EXPRESS/SOS 2017, arXiv:1709.0004
A Fixpoint Semantics of Event Systems with and without Fairness Assumptions
We present a fixpoint semantics of event systems. The semantics is presented
in a general framework without concerns of fairness. Soundness and completeness
of rules for deriving "leads-to" properties are proved in this general
framework. The general framework is instantiated to minimal progress and weak
fairness assumptions and similar results are obtained. We show the power of
these results by deriving sufficient conditions for "leads-to" under minimal
progress proving soundness of proof obligations without reasoning over
state-traces
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