37,637 research outputs found
Requirements, Formal Verification and Model transformations of an Agent-based System: A CASE STUDY
One of the most challenging tasks in software specifications engineering for a multi-agent system is to ensure correctness. As these systems have high concurrency, often have dynamic environments, the formal specification and verification of these systems along with step-wise refinement from abstract to concrete concepts play major role in system correctness. Our objectives are the formal specification, analysis with respect to functional as well as non-functional properties by step-wise refinement from abstract to concrete specifications and then formal verification of these specifications. A multi-agent system is concurrent system with processes working in parallel with synchronization between them. We have worked on Gaia multi-agent method along with finite state process based finite automata techniques and as a result we have defined the formal specifications of our system, checked the correctness and verified all possible flow of concurrent executions of these specifications. Our contribution consists in transforming requirement specifications based on organizational abstractions into executable formal verification specifications based on finite automata. We have considered a case study of our multi-agent system to exemplify formal specifications and verification. Keywords: Multi-Agent System, Agent Models and Architecture, Gaia multi-agent method, Formal methods, Formal verification, Finite State Process (FSP), Labelled Transition System (LTS), Labelled Transition System Analyzer (LTSA), Safety property, Liveness propert
Requirements, Formal Verification and Model transformations of an Agent-based System: A CASE STUDY
One of the most challenging tasks in software specifications engineering for
a multi-agent system is to ensure correctness. As these systems have high
concurrency, often have dynamic environments, the formal specification and
verification of these systems along with step-wise refinement from abstract to
concrete concepts play major role in system correctness. Our objectives are the
formal specification, analysis with respect to functional as well as
non-functional properties by step-wise refinement from abstract to concrete
specifications and then formal verification of these specifications. A
multi-agent system is concurrent system with processes working in parallel with
synchronization between them. We have worked on Gaia multi-agent method along
with finite state process based finite automata techniques and as a result we
have defined the formal specifications of our system, checked the correctness
and verified all possible flow of concurrent executions of these
specifications. Our contribution consists in transforming requirement
specifications based on organizational abstractions into executable formal
verification specifications based on finite automata. We have considered a case
study of our multi-agent system to exemplify formal specifications and
verification.Comment: 16 pages; Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems
http://www.iiste.org - ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online) -
Vol.5, No.3, 201
Generic Expression in B of the Influence/Reaction Model: Specifying and Verifying Situated Multi-Agent Systems
This paper addresses the formal specification and verification of situated multi-agent systems that can be formulated within the influence-reaction model as proposed in 1996 by Ferber & Muller. In this framework our objective is to prove the correctness of reactive multi-agent systems with respect to a certain formal specification or property, using formal methods. This is an important step to bring multi-agent systems to high quality standards as required for critical applications encountered in domains such as transport systems. A generic B writing of systems instantiating the influence reaction model is proposed, using patterns of specification. An illustration is then presented on the formal specification of a system operating electrical vehicles under precise automatic control at close spacings to form a platoon. The papers ends with considerations about further improvements of the framework, involving simulation and study of the properties of the system
Towards Validating a Platoon of Cristal Vehicles using CSP||B
24 pagesInternational audienceThe complexity of specification development and verification of large systems has to be mastered. In this paper a specification of a real case study, a platoon of Cristal vehicles is developed using the combination, named CSP||B, of two well-known formal methods. This large -- both distributed and embedded -- system typically corresponds to a multi-level composition of components that have to cooperate. We show how to develop and verify the specification and check some properties in a compositional way. We make use of previous theoretical results on CSP||B to validate this complex multi-agent system
Towards Validating a Platoon of Cristal Vehicles using CSP||B
24 pagesInternational audienceThe complexity of specification development and verification of large systems has to be mastered. In this paper a specification of a real case study, a platoon of Cristal vehicles is developed using the combination, named CSP||B, of two well-known formal methods. This large -- both distributed and embedded -- system typically corresponds to a multi-level composition of components that have to cooperate. We show how to develop and verify the specification and check some properties in a compositional way. We make use of previous theoretical results on CSP||B to validate this complex multi-agent system
Model checking multi-agent systems
A multi-agent system (MAS) is usually understood as a system composed of interacting
autonomous agents. In this sense, MAS have been employed successfully as a modelling
paradigm in a number of scenarios, especially in Computer Science. However, the process
of modelling complex and heterogeneous systems is intrinsically prone to errors: for this
reason, computer scientists are typically concerned with the issue of verifying that a system
actually behaves as it is supposed to, especially when a system is complex.
Techniques have been developed to perform this task: testing is the most common technique,
but in many circumstances a formal proof of correctness is needed. Techniques
for formal verification include theorem proving and model checking. Model checking
techniques, in particular, have been successfully employed in the formal verification of
distributed systems, including hardware components, communication protocols, security
protocols.
In contrast to traditional distributed systems, formal verification techniques for MAS are
still in their infancy, due to the more complex nature of agents, their autonomy, and
the richer language used in the specification of properties. This thesis aims at making
a contribution in the formal verification of properties of MAS via model checking. In
particular, the following points are addressed:
• Theoretical results about model checking methodologies for MAS, obtained by
extending traditional methodologies based on Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams (OBDDS) for temporal logics to multi-modal logics for time, knowledge, correct behaviour, and strategies of agents. Complexity results for model checking these logics
(and their symbolic representations).
• Development of a software tool (MCMAS) that permits the specification and verification
of MAS described in the formalism of interpreted systems.
• Examples of application of MCMAS to various MAS scenarios (communication, anonymity, games, hardware diagnosability), including experimental results, and comparison with other tools available
Formal Verification of a Map Merging Protocol in the Multi-Agent Programming Contest
Communication is a critical part of enabling multi-agent systems to cooperate. This means that applying formal methods to protocols governing communication within multi-agent systems provides useful confidence in its reliability. In this paper, we describe the formal verification of a complex communication protocol that coordinates agents merging maps of their environment. The protocol was used by the LFC team in the 2019 edition of the Multi-Agent Programming Contest (MAPC). Our specification of the protocol is written in Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP), which is a well-suited approach to specifying agent communication protocols due to its focus on concurrent communicating systems. We validate the specification's behaviour using scenarios where the correct behaviour is known, and verify that eventually all the maps have merged
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