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An Automata-Theoretic Approach to Model-Checking Systems and Specifications Over Infinite Data Domains

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Abstract

Data-parameterized systems model systems with finite control over an infinite data domain. VLTL is an extension of LTL that uses variables in order to specify properties of computations over infinite data, and as such, VLTL is suitable for specifying properties of data-parameterized systems. We present alternating variable Büchi word automata (AVBWs), a new model of automata over infinite alphabets, capable of modeling a significant fragment of VLTL. While alternating and non-deterministic Büchi automata over finite alphabets have the same expressive power, we show that this is not the case for infinite data domains, as we prove that AVBWs are strictly stronger than the previously defined non-deterministic variable Büchi word automata (NVBWs). However, while the emptiness problem is easy for NVBWs, it is undecidable for AVBWs. We present an algorithm for translating AVBWs to NVBWs in cases where such a translation is possible. Additionally, we characterize the structure of AVBWs that can be translated to NVBWs with our algorithm. We then rely on the natural iterative behavior of our translation algorithm to describe a bounded model-checking procedure for the logic that we consider. Furthermore, we present several fragments of the logic that can be expressed by NVBWs, as well as a fragment that cannot be expressed by NVBWs, yet whose satisfiability is decidable.

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Notes

  1. In particular, the negation operator is not included.

  2. Comments are given in bold.

  3. Note that AVBWtoNVBW does not halt when given \(\mathcal {A}\) as an input.

  4. Note that absence of cycles means, in particular, that the algorithm AVBWtoNVBW does not halt.

  5. In [29] the authors conjecture without proof that the formula \(\textsf {G}\,\exists x: a.x\) does not have an equivalent in PNF In Lemma 1 we show that \(\textsf {G}\,\exists x(b.x\wedge \textsf {F}\,a.x)\) does not have an equivalent NVBW, and therefore does not have an equivalent \(\exists ^*_{PNF}\)-VLTL formula. This is a different formula from \(\textsf {G}\,\exists x a.x\), but the conclusion remains the same.

  6. As we show in 5.1.3, these latter two formulas are equivalent.

  7. Note that the negation of the formulas \(B_i\) is of the form \(\textsf {F}\,\textsf {G}\,\forall x \lnot a.x\). The semantics of this formula is that from some point of the computation, a does not appear at all, with any value. Although this is a \(\forall \)-VLTL formula, it is easy to construct an NVBW expresses it.

  8. Every \(\exists ^*\)-VLTL has an equivalent in this form.

  9. The set of computations satisfy \(\psi \) is exactly the language of the AVBW \(\mathcal {A}_1\) from Fig. 3.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, The Technion, Haifa, Israel

    Hadar Frenkel & Orna Grumberg

  2. Department of Software Engineering, ORT Braude Academic College, Karmiel, Israel

    Sarai Sheinvald

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  1. Hadar Frenkel
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Correspondence to Hadar Frenkel.

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This work was funded in part by the Binational Science Foundation (BSF Grant No. 2012259) and in part by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF Grant No. 979/11).

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Frenkel, H., Grumberg, O. & Sheinvald, S. An Automata-Theoretic Approach to Model-Checking Systems and Specifications Over Infinite Data Domains. J Autom Reasoning 63, 1077–1101 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10817-018-9494-0

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