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Faster and Symbolic CTMC Model Checking

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Process Algebra and Probabilistic Methods. Performance Modelling and Verification (PAPM-PROBMIV 2001)

Abstract

This paper reports on the implementation and the experiments with symbolic model checking of continuous-time Markov chains using multi-terminal binary decision diagrams (MTBDDs). Properties are expressed in Continuous Stochastic Logic (CSL) [7] which includes the means to express both transient and steady-state performance measures. We show that all CSL operators can be treated using standard operations on MTBDDs, thus allowing a rather straightforward implementation of symbolic CSL model checking on existing MTBDD-based platforms such as the verifier PRISM. The main result of the paper is an improvement of O(N) in the time complexity of checking time-bounded until-formulas, where N is the number of states in the CTMC under consideration. This result yields a drastic speed-up in the verification time of model checking CTMCs, both in the symbolic and non-symbolic case.

Partly supported by EPSRC grants GR/M04617, GR/M13046 and GR/N31573.

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Katoen, JP., Kwiatkowska, M., Norman, G., Parker, D. (2001). Faster and Symbolic CTMC Model Checking. In: de Alfaro, L., Gilmore, S. (eds) Process Algebra and Probabilistic Methods. Performance Modelling and Verification. PAPM-PROBMIV 2001. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2165. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-44804-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-44804-7_2

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