4,098 research outputs found
Model checking infinite-state systems: generic and specific approaches
Model checking is a fully-automatic formal verification method that has been extremely
successful in validating and verifying safety-critical systems in the past three
decades. In the past fifteen years, there has been a lot of work in extending many
model checking algorithms over finite-state systems to finitely representable infinitestate
systems. Unlike in the case of finite systems, decidability can easily become a
problem in the case of infinite-state model checking.
In this thesis, we present generic and specific techniques that can be used to derive
decidability with near-optimal computational complexity for various model checking
problems over infinite-state systems. Generic techniques and specific techniques primarily
differ in the way in which a decidability result is derived. Generic techniques is
a “top-down” approach wherein we start with a Turing-powerful formalismfor infinitestate
systems (in the sense of being able to generate the computation graphs of Turing
machines up to isomorphisms), and then impose semantic restrictions whereby the
desired model checking problem becomes decidable. In other words, to show that a
subclass of the infinite-state systems that is generated by this formalism is decidable
with respect to the model checking problem under consideration, we will simply have
to prove that this subclass satisfies the semantic restriction. On the other hand, specific
techniques is a “bottom-up” approach in the sense that we restrict to a non-Turing
powerful formalism of infinite-state systems at the outset. The main benefit of generic
techniques is that they can be used as algorithmic metatheorems, i.e., they can give
unified proofs of decidability of various model checking problems over infinite-state
systems. Specific techniques are more flexible in the sense they can be used to derive
decidability or optimal complexity when generic techniques fail.
In the first part of the thesis, we adopt word/tree automatic transition systems as
a generic formalism of infinite-state systems. Such formalisms can be used to generate
many interesting classes of infinite-state systems that have been considered in the
literature, e.g., the computation graphs of counter systems, Turing machines, pushdown
systems, prefix-recognizable systems, regular ground-tree rewrite systems, PAprocesses,
order-2 collapsible pushdown systems. Although the generality of these
formalisms make most interesting model checking problems (even safety) undecidable,
they are known to have nice closure and algorithmic properties. We use these
nice properties to obtain several algorithmic metatheorems over word/tree automatic
systems, e.g., for deriving decidability of various model checking problems including
recurrent reachability, and Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) with complex fairness constraints. These algorithmic metatheorems can be used to uniformly prove decidability
with optimal (or near-optimal) complexity of various model checking problems over
many classes of infinite-state systems that have been considered in the literature. In
fact, many of these decidability/complexity results were not previously known in the
literature.
In the second part of the thesis, we study various model checking problems over
subclasses of counter systems that were already known to be decidable. In particular,
we consider reversal-bounded counter systems (and their extensions with discrete
clocks), one-counter processes, and networks of one-counter processes. We shall derive
optimal complexity of various model checking problems including: model checking
LTL, EF-logic, and first-order logic with reachability relations (and restrictions
thereof). In most cases, we obtain a single/double exponential reduction in the previously
known upper bounds on the complexity of the problems
Equivalence-Checking on Infinite-State Systems: Techniques and Results
The paper presents a selection of recently developed and/or used techniques
for equivalence-checking on infinite-state systems, and an up-to-date overview
of existing results (as of September 2004)
On the decidability and complexity of Metric Temporal Logic over finite words
Metric Temporal Logic (MTL) is a prominent specification formalism for
real-time systems. In this paper, we show that the satisfiability problem for
MTL over finite timed words is decidable, with non-primitive recursive
complexity. We also consider the model-checking problem for MTL: whether all
words accepted by a given Alur-Dill timed automaton satisfy a given MTL
formula. We show that this problem is decidable over finite words. Over
infinite words, we show that model checking the safety fragment of MTL--which
includes invariance and time-bounded response properties--is also decidable.
These results are quite surprising in that they contradict various claims to
the contrary that have appeared in the literature
Beyond Language Equivalence on Visibly Pushdown Automata
We study (bi)simulation-like preorder/equivalence checking on the class of
visibly pushdown automata and its natural subclasses visibly BPA (Basic Process
Algebra) and visibly one-counter automata. We describe generic methods for
proving complexity upper and lower bounds for a number of studied preorders and
equivalences like simulation, completed simulation, ready simulation, 2-nested
simulation preorders/equivalences and bisimulation equivalence. Our main
results are that all the mentioned equivalences and preorders are
EXPTIME-complete on visibly pushdown automata, PSPACE-complete on visibly
one-counter automata and P-complete on visibly BPA. Our PSPACE lower bound for
visibly one-counter automata improves also the previously known DP-hardness
results for ordinary one-counter automata and one-counter nets. Finally, we
study regularity checking problems for visibly pushdown automata and show that
they can be decided in polynomial time.Comment: Final version of paper, accepted by LMC
Decidability and Universality in Symbolic Dynamical Systems
Many different definitions of computational universality for various types of
dynamical systems have flourished since Turing's work. We propose a general
definition of universality that applies to arbitrary discrete time symbolic
dynamical systems. Universality of a system is defined as undecidability of a
model-checking problem. For Turing machines, counter machines and tag systems,
our definition coincides with the classical one. It yields, however, a new
definition for cellular automata and subshifts. Our definition is robust with
respect to initial condition, which is a desirable feature for physical
realizability.
We derive necessary conditions for undecidability and universality. For
instance, a universal system must have a sensitive point and a proper
subsystem. We conjecture that universal systems have infinite number of
subsystems. We also discuss the thesis according to which computation should
occur at the `edge of chaos' and we exhibit a universal chaotic system.Comment: 23 pages; a shorter version is submitted to conference MCU 2004 v2:
minor orthographic changes v3: section 5.2 (collatz functions) mathematically
improved v4: orthographic corrections, one reference added v5:27 pages.
Important modifications. The formalism is strengthened: temporal logic
replaced by finite automata. New results. Submitte
Forward Analysis and Model Checking for Trace Bounded WSTS
We investigate a subclass of well-structured transition systems (WSTS), the
bounded---in the sense of Ginsburg and Spanier (Trans. AMS 1964)---complete
deterministic ones, which we claim provide an adequate basis for the study of
forward analyses as developed by Finkel and Goubault-Larrecq (Logic. Meth.
Comput. Sci. 2012). Indeed, we prove that, unlike other conditions considered
previously for the termination of forward analysis, boundedness is decidable.
Boundedness turns out to be a valuable restriction for WSTS verification, as we
show that it further allows to decide all -regular properties on the
set of infinite traces of the system
In the Maze of Data Languages
In data languages the positions of strings and trees carry a label from a
finite alphabet and a data value from an infinite alphabet. Extensions of
automata and logics over finite alphabets have been defined to recognize data
languages, both in the string and tree cases. In this paper we describe and
compare the complexity and expressiveness of such models to understand which
ones are better candidates as regular models
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