Synchronous Kleene algebra

AbstractThe work presented here investigates the combination of Kleene algebra with the synchrony model of concurrency from Milner’s SCCS calculus. The resulting algebraic structure is called synchronous Kleene algebra. Models are given in terms of sets of synchronous strings and finite automata accepting synchronous strings. The extension of synchronous Kleene algebra with Boolean tests is presented together with models on sets of guarded synchronous strings and the associated automata on guarded synchronous strings. Completeness w.r.t. the standard interpretations is given for each of the two new formalisms. Decidability follows from completeness. Kleene algebra with synchrony should be included in the class of true concurrency models. In this direction, a comparison with Mazurkiewicz traces is made which yields their incomparability with synchronous Kleene algebras (one cannot simulate the other). On the other hand, we isolate a class of pomsets which captures exactly synchronous Kleene algebras. We present an application to Hoare-like reasoning about parallel programs in the style of synchrony

Completeness and Incompleteness of Synchronous Kleene Algebra

Synchronous Kleene algebra (SKA), an extension of Kleene algebra (KA), was proposed by Prisacariu as a tool for reasoning about programs that may execute synchronously, i.e., in lock-step. We provide a countermodel witnessing that the axioms of SKA are incomplete w.r.t. its language semantics, by exploiting a lack of interaction between the synchronous product operator and the Kleene star. We then propose an alternative set of axioms for SKA, based on Salomaa's axiomatisation of regular languages, and show that these provide a sound and complete characterisation w.r.t. the original language semantics.Comment: Accepted at MPC 201

Decision Procedure for Synchronous Kleene Algebra

Kleene Algebra (KA) is an algebraic system that has many applications both in mathematics and computer science. It was named after Stephen Cole Kleene who extensively studied regular expressions and finite automata [Kle56]. Moreover it is often used to reason about programs, as it can represent sequential composition, choice and finite iteration. Furthermore, the need to reason about actions which can be executed concurrently, spawned SKA. SKA is an extension of KA introduced by Cristian Prisacariu in [Pri10] that adopts a notion of concurrent actions. Laguange equivalence is an imperishable problem in computer science. In this thesis we present the reader with a detailed explanation of a decision procedure for SKA terms and an OCaml implementation of said procedure as well.A Kleene Algebra (KA) é um sistema algébrico que tem bastantes aplicações quer no campo da matemática como também da informática. Foi batizada com o nome do seu inventor Stephen Cole Kleene, que ao longo da sua carreira fez um estudo intensivo sobre expressões regulares e autómatos finitos [Kle56]. Quando há necessidade de raciocinar equacionalmente sobre programas, recorre-se frequentemente à Kleene Algebra, visto que esta consegue exprimir noções de escolha, composição sequencial e até a noção de iteração. A necessidade de raciocinar equacionalmente sobre ações que podem ser executadas de forma concorrente levou ao aparecimento da Algebra de Kleene Síncrona ou Synchronous Kleene Algebra (SKA). Esta última foi introduzida por Cristian Prisacariu em 2010 no seu artigo [Pri10] como uma extensão à Kleene Algebra mas que contém uma noção de ação concorrente. A equivalência de linguagens é um problema perene em ciências da computação. Nesta dissertação iremos apresentar ao leitor uma explicação detalhada de um processo de decisão para termos de Synchronous Kleene Algebra (SKA) bem como a sua implementação utilizando a linguagem de programação OCaml

A synchronous program algebra: a basis for reasoning about shared-memory and event-based concurrency

This research started with an algebra for reasoning about rely/guarantee concurrency for a shared memory model. The approach taken led to a more abstract algebra of atomic steps, in which atomic steps synchronise (rather than interleave) when composed in parallel. The algebra of rely/guarantee concurrency then becomes an instantiation of the more abstract algebra. Many of the core properties needed for rely/guarantee reasoning can be shown to hold in the abstract algebra where their proofs are simpler and hence allow a higher degree of automation. The algebra has been encoded in Isabelle/HOL to provide a basis for tool support for program verification. In rely/guarantee concurrency, programs are specified to guarantee certain behaviours until assumptions about the behaviour of their environment are violated. When assumptions are violated, program behaviour is unconstrained (aborting), and guarantees need no longer hold. To support these guarantees a second synchronous operator, weak conjunction, was introduced: both processes in a weak conjunction must agree to take each atomic step, unless one aborts in which case the whole aborts. In developing the laws for parallel and weak conjunction we found many properties were shared by the operators and that the proofs of many laws were essentially the same. This insight led to the idea of generalising synchronisation to an abstract operator with only the axioms that are shared by the parallel and weak conjunction operator, so that those two operators can be viewed as instantiations of the abstract synchronisation operator. The main differences between parallel and weak conjunction are how they combine individual atomic steps; that is left open in the axioms for the abstract operator.Comment: Extended version of a Formal Methods 2016 paper, "An algebra of synchronous atomic steps

A synchronous program algebra: a basis for reasoning about shared-memory and event-based concurrency

This research started with an algebra for reasoning about rely/guarantee concurrency for a shared memory model. The approach taken led to a more abstract algebra of atomic steps, in which atomic steps synchronise (rather than interleave) when composed in parallel. The algebra of rely/guarantee concurrency then becomes an instantiation of the more abstract algebra. Many of the core properties needed for rely/guarantee reasoning can be shown to hold in the abstract algebra where their proofs are simpler and hence allow a higher degree of automation. The algebra has been encoded in Isabelle/HOL to provide a basis for tool support for program verification. In rely/guarantee concurrency, programs are specified to guarantee certain behaviours until assumptions about the behaviour of their environment are violated. When assumptions are violated, program behaviour is unconstrained (aborting), and guarantees need no longer hold. To support these guarantees a second synchronous operator, weak conjunction, was introduced: both processes in a weak conjunction must agree to take each atomic step, unless one aborts in which case the whole aborts. In developing the laws for parallel and weak conjunction we found many properties were shared by the operators and that the proofs of many laws were essentially the same. This insight led to the idea of generalising synchronisation to an abstract operator with only the axioms that are shared by the parallel and weak conjunction operator, so that those two operators can be viewed as instantiations of the abstract synchronisation operator. The main differences between parallel and weak conjunction are how they combine individual atomic steps; that is left open in the axioms for the abstract operator.Comment: Extended version of a Formal Methods 2016 paper, "An algebra of synchronous atomic steps

Deciding synchronous Kleene algebra with derivatives

Synchronous Kleene algebra (SKA) is a decidable framework that combines Kleene algebra (KA) with a synchrony model of concurrency. Elements of SKA can be seen as processes taking place within a fixed discrete time frame and that, at each time step, may execute one or more basic actions or then come to a halt. The synchronous Kleene algebra with tests (SKAT) combines SKA with a Boolean algebra. Both algebras were introduced by Prisacariu, who proved the decidability of the equational theory, through a Kleene theorem based on the classical Thompson -NFA construction. Using the notion of partial derivatives, we present a new decision procedure for equivalence between SKA terms. The results are extended for SKAT considering automata with transitions labeled by Boolean expressions instead of atoms. This work continous previous research done for KA and KAT, where derivative based methods were used in feasible algorithms for testing terms equivalence. (c) Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015

Turing Automata and Graph Machines

Indexed monoidal algebras are introduced as an equivalent structure for self-dual compact closed categories, and a coherence theorem is proved for the category of such algebras. Turing automata and Turing graph machines are defined by generalizing the classical Turing machine concept, so that the collection of such machines becomes an indexed monoidal algebra. On the analogy of the von Neumann data-flow computer architecture, Turing graph machines are proposed as potentially reversible low-level universal computational devices, and a truly reversible molecular size hardware model is presented as an example

A Max-Plus Model of Asynchronous Cellular Automata

This paper presents a new framework for asynchrony. This has its origins in our attempts to better harness the internal decision making process of cellular automata (CA). Thus, we show that a max-plus algebraic model of asynchrony arises naturally from the CA requirement that a cell receives the state of each neighbour before updating. The significant result is the existence of a bijective mapping between the asynchronous system and the synchronous system classically used to update cellular automata. Consequently, although the CA outputs look qualitatively different, when surveyed on "contours" of real time, the asynchronous CA replicates the synchronous CA. Moreover, this type of asynchrony is simple - it is characterised by the underlying network structure of the cells, and long-term behaviour is deterministic and periodic due to the linearity of max-plus algebra. The findings lead us to proffer max-plus algebra as: (i) a more accurate and efficient underlying timing mechanism for models of patterns seen in nature, and (ii) a foundation for promising extensions and applications.Comment: in Complex Systems (Complex Systems Publications Inc), Volume 23, Issue 4, 201

Compositional bisimulation metric reasoning with Probabilistic Process Calculi

We study which standard operators of probabilistic process calculi allow for compositional reasoning with respect to bisimulation metric semantics. We argue that uniform continuity (generalizing the earlier proposed property of non-expansiveness) captures the essential nature of compositional reasoning and allows now also to reason compositionally about recursive processes. We characterize the distance between probabilistic processes composed by standard process algebra operators. Combining these results, we demonstrate how compositional reasoning about systems specified by continuous process algebra operators allows for metric assume-guarantee like performance validation

Introducing synchrony in fuzzy automata

This paper introduces a sort of automata and associated languages, often arising in modelling natural phenomena, in which both vagueness and simultaneity are taken as first class citizens. This requires a fuzzy semantics assigned to transitions and a precise notion of a synchronous product to enforce the simultaneous occurrence of actions. The expected relationships between automata and languages are revisited in this setting; in particular it is shown that any subset of a fuzzy synchronous language with the suitable signature forms a synchronous Kleene algebra.NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000037. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030947. ERDF – European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation - COMPETE 2020 Programme and by National Funds through the Portuguese funding agency, FCT - Funda¸c˜ao para a Ciˆencia e a Tecnologia, within projects POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030947 and UID/MAT/04106/2019. The second author is supported in the scope of the framework contract foreseen in the numbers 4, 5 and 6 of the article 23, of the Decree-Law 57/2016, of August 29, changed by Portuguese Law 57/2017, of July 19. This paper is also a result of the project SmartEGOV: Harnessing EGOV for Smart Governance (Foundations, Methods, Tools) NORTE-01-0145- FEDER-000037, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (EFDR). It received further support from the PT-FLAD Chair in Smart Cities & Smart Governanc