Abstract
The Probabilistic I/O Automaton model of [11] is used as the basis for a formal presentation and proof of the randomized consensus algorithm of Aspnes and Herlihy. The algorithm is highly nontrivial and guarantees termination within expected polynomial time. The task of carrying out this proof has led us to develop several general proof techniques for probabilistic I/O automata. These include ways to combine expectations for different complexity measures, to compose expected complexity properties, to convert probabilistic claims to deterministic claims, to use abstraction mappings to prove probabilistic properties, and to apply random walk theory in a distributed computational setting.
Supported by AFOSR-ONR contract F49620-94-1-0199, by ARPA contracts N00014-92J-4033 and F19628-95-C-0118, and by NSF grant 9225124-CCR.
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Pogosyants, A., Segala, R., Lynch, N. (1997). Verification of the randomized consensus algorithm of Aspnes and Herlihy: A case study. In: Mavronicolas, M., Tsigas, P. (eds) Distributed Algorithms. WDAG 1997. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1320. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0030673
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0030673
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