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Model checking multi-agent systems with logic based Petri nets

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Abstract

We introduce a class of Petri nets, simple logic Petri nets (SLPN), that are based on logical expressions. We show how this type of nets can be efficiently mapped into logic programs with negation: the corresponding answer sets describe interleaved executions of the underlying nets (Theorem 1). The absence of an answer set indicates a deadlock situation. We also show how to correctly model and specify AgentSpeak agents and multi-agent systems with SLPN’s (Theorem 2). Both theorems allow us to solve the task of model checking AgentSpeak multi-agent systems by computing answer sets of the obtained logic program with any ASP system.

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Correspondence to Tristan M. Behrens.

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This article is dedicated to Jack Minker, the doyen of the area of Deductive Databases. The second author was very much inspired by Jack’s famous book from 1987 and decided to pursue a scientific career in computer science not least because of this book and Jack’s support through the years.

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Behrens, T.M., Dix, J. Model checking multi-agent systems with logic based Petri nets. Ann Math Artif Intell 51, 81–121 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10472-008-9092-7

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