Compositional Verification of Multi-Agent Systems: A Formal Analysis of Pro-Activeness and Reactiveness

Abstract

Compositional verification aims at managing the complexity of the verification process by exploiting compositionality of the system architecture. In this paper we explore the use of a temporal epistemic logic to formalize the process of verification of compositional multi-agent systems. The specification of a system, its properties and their proofs are of a compositional nature, and are formalized within a compositional temporal logic: Temporal Multi-Epistemic Logic. It is shown that compositional proofs are valid under certain conditions. Finally, the possibility of incorporating default persistence of information in a system, is explored.

Representing Agent Interaction Protocols in UML

“…The extensive program underway at the Free University of Amsterdam on compositional methodologies for requirements [11], design [4], and verification [14] uses graphical representations with strong links to UML's collaboration diagrams, as well as linear (formulaic) notations better suited to alignment with UML's metamodel than with the graphical mechanisms that are our focus. Our discussion of the compositionality of protocols is anticipated in the work of Burmeister et al [7], though our notation differs widely from hers.…”

“…The UML model semantics are represented by a metamodel whose structure is also formally defined by OCL syntax. OCL and the metamodel offer resources to capture the kinds of logical specifications anticipated in (for example) [4,11,14,15,16,28], but space does not permit exploring this use of UML in this paper.…”

A Three-Dimensional Abstraction Framework to Compare Multi-Agent System Models

“…Temporal perspectives on the dynamics of processes are addressed in a wide variety of literature, from different disciplines, including Cognitive Science , [3], [42], [56], and Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science [5], [12], [40], [13], [21], [31], [50], [59], [4]. Temporally local properties were used in Section 2 to describe the (physiological, cognitive, or behavioural) mechanisms of a process considered in a step-by-step manner.…”

“…For specification of emerging patterns a more expressive temporal modelling language is needed, for example, linear time or branching time modal temporal logics (such as LTL or CTL), or temporal predicate logics (such as the Temporal Trace Language TTL; cf. [12], [40]). Below, different types of often considered global temporal properties are described.…”

A System for Analysis of Multi-Issue Negotiation

“…To this end the Temporal Trace Language TTL is used as a tool; cf. [5], which is briefly defined as follows.…”