1,306 research outputs found
Petri nets for systems and synthetic biology
We give a description of a Petri net-based framework for
modelling and analysing biochemical pathways, which uni¯es the qualita-
tive, stochastic and continuous paradigms. Each perspective adds its con-
tribution to the understanding of the system, thus the three approaches
do not compete, but complement each other. We illustrate our approach
by applying it to an extended model of the three stage cascade, which
forms the core of the ERK signal transduction pathway. Consequently
our focus is on transient behaviour analysis. We demonstrate how quali-
tative descriptions are abstractions over stochastic or continuous descrip-
tions, and show that the stochastic and continuous models approximate
each other. Although our framework is based on Petri nets, it can be
applied more widely to other formalisms which are used to model and
analyse biochemical networks
Towards Formal Interaction-Based Models of Grid Computing Infrastructures
Grid computing (GC) systems are large-scale virtual machines, built upon a
massive pool of resources (processing time, storage, software) that often span
multiple distributed domains. Concurrent users interact with the grid by adding
new tasks; the grid is expected to assign resources to tasks in a fair,
trustworthy way. These distinctive features of GC systems make their
specification and verification a challenging issue. Although prior works have
proposed formal approaches to the specification of GC systems, a precise
account of the interaction model which underlies resource sharing has not been
yet proposed. In this paper, we describe ongoing work aimed at filling in this
gap. Our approach relies on (higher-order) process calculi: these core
languages for concurrency offer a compositional framework in which GC systems
can be precisely described and potentially reasoned about.Comment: In Proceedings DCM 2013, arXiv:1403.768
Modelling Concurrency with Comtraces and Generalized Comtraces
Comtraces (combined traces) are extensions of Mazurkiewicz traces that can
model the "not later than" relationship. In this paper, we first introduce the
novel notion of generalized comtraces, extensions of comtraces that can
additionally model the "non-simultaneously" relationship. Then we study some
basic algebraic properties and canonical reprentations of comtraces and
generalized comtraces. Finally we analyze the relationship between generalized
comtraces and generalized stratified order structures. The major technical
contribution of this paper is a proof showing that generalized comtraces can be
represented by generalized stratified order structures.Comment: 49 page
Rigorous Design of Fault-Tolerant Transactions for Replicated Database Systems using Event B
System availability is improved by the replication of data objects in a distributed database system. However, during updates, the complexity of keeping replicas identical arises due to failures of sites and race conditions among conflicting transactions. Fault tolerance and reliability are key issues to be addressed in the design and architecture of these systems. Event B is a formal technique which provides a framework for developing mathematical models of distributed systems by rigorous description of the problem, gradually introducing solutions in refinement steps, and verification of solutions by discharge of proof obligations. In this paper, we present a formal development of a distributed system using Event B that ensures atomic commitment of distributed transactions consisting of communicating transaction components at participating sites. This formal approach carries the development of the system from an initial abstract specification of transactional updates on a one copy database to a detailed design containing replicated databases in refinement. Through refinement we verify that the design of the replicated database confirms to the one copy database abstraction
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