A Maude-Based Tool for Simulating DIMA Model

Abstract

The lack of formal semantics in the existing formalisms describing multi-agents models, combined with the complexity of multi-agents systems, are sources of several problems during their development process. The formal methods are known to bring rigorous and precise descriptions. They offer the possibility of checking the correction of specifications. In this framework and in previous papers (Ferber J, Gutknecht O (2002) MadKit user’s guide. Version 3.1) [23], we have proposed a formal and generic framework called DIMA-Maude, allowing formal description and validation of the DIMA model [15] with the Maude language [22]. This language, based on rewriting logic [21], offers a rich notation supporting formal specification, implementation, validation through simulation, and verification through accessibility analysis and model checking of concurrent systems (Koning JL (1999) Algorithms for translating interaction protocols into a formal description. In: IEEE Int Conf Syst Man Cybernet Conf, Tokyo, Japan). In this paper, we propose a rewriting logic-based tool for creating a DIMA model. This tool allows the edition and the simulation of a DIMA system. It allows the user to draw a DIMA system graphically and translates the graphical representation of the drawn DIMA model to a Maude specification. Then the Maude system is used to perform the simulation of the resulting Maude specification. This tool allows preserving the graphic notations offered by the DIMA model for clarity and getting a formal specification in Maude for analysis.