Lorenzo Clemente

Advanced Ramsey-based Büchi automata inclusion testing

Checking language inclusion between two nondeterministic Buchi automata A and B is computationally hard (PSPACE-complete). However, several approaches which are efficient in many practical cases have been proposed. We build on one of these, which is known as the Ramsey-based approach. It has recently been shown that the basic Ramsey-based approach can be drastically optimized by using powerful subsumption techniques, which allow one to prune the search-space when looking for counterexamples to inclusion. While previous works only used subsumption based on set inclusion or forward simulation on A and B, we propose the following new techniques: (1) A larger subsumption relation based on a combination of backward and forward simulations on A and B. (2) A method to additionally use forward simulation between A and B. (3) Abstraction techniques that can speed up the computation and lead to early detection of counterexamples. The new algorithm was implemented and tested on automata derived from real-world model checking benchmarks, and on the Tabakov-Vardi random model, thus showing the usefulness of the proposed techniques.

Advanced automata minimization

We present an efficient algorithm to reduce the size of nondeterministic Buchi word automata, while retaining their language. Additionally, we describe methods to solve PSPACE-complete automata problems like universality, equivalence and inclusion for much larger instances (1-3 orders of magnitude) than before. This can be used to scale up applications of automata in formal verification tools and decision procedures for logical theories. The algorithm is based on new transition pruning techniques. These use criteria based on combinations of backward and forward trace inclusions. Since these relations are themselves PSPACE-complete, we describe methods to compute good approximations of them in polynomial time. Extensive experiments show that the average-case complexity of our algorithm scales quadratically. The size reduction of the automata depends very much on the class of instances, but our algorithm consistently outperforms all previous techniques by a wide margin. We tested our algorithm on Buchi automata derived from LTL-formulae, many classes of random automata and automata derived from mutual exclusion protocols, and compared its performance to the well-known automata tool GOAL.

Simulation subsumption in ramsey-based büchi automata universality and inclusion testing

There are two main classes of methods for checking universality and language inclusion of Buchi-automata: Rank-based methods and Ramsey-based methods While rank-based methods have a better worst-case complexity, Ramsey-based methods have been shown to be quite competitive in practice [10,9] It was shown in [10] (for universality checking) that a simple subsumption technique, which avoids exploration of certain cases, greatly improves the performance of the Ramsey-based method Here, we present a much more general subsumption technique for the Ramsey-based method, which is based on using simulation preorder on the states of the Buchi-automata This technique applies to both universality and inclusion checking, yielding a substantial performance gain over the previous simple subsumption approach of [10].

Timed Pushdown Automata Revisited

This paper contains two results on timed extensions of pushdown automata (PDA). As our first result we prove that the model of dense-timed PDA of Abdulla et al. Collapses: it is expressively equivalent to dense-timed PDA with timeless stack. Motivated by this result, we advocate the framework of first-order definable PDA, a specialization of PDA in sets with atoms, as the right setting to define and investigate timed extensions of PDA. The general model obtained in this way is Turing complete. As our second result we prove NEXPTIME upper complexity bound for the non-emptiness problem for an expressive subclass. As a byproduct, we obtain a tight EXPTIME complexity bound for a more restrictive subclass of PDA with timeless stack, thus subsuming the complexity bound known for dense-timed PDA.

Multidimensional beyond Worst-Case and Almost-Sure Problems for Mean-Payoff Objectives

The beyond worst-case threshold problem (BWC), recently introduced by Bruyère et al., asks given a quantitative game graph for the synthesis of a strategy that i) enforces some minimal level of performance against any adversary, and ii) achieves a good expectation against a stochastic model of the adversary. They solved the BWC problem for finite-memory strategies and unidimensional mean-payoff objectives and they showed membership of the problem in NP∩coNP. They also noted that infinite-memory strategies are more powerful than finite-memory ones, but the respective threshold problem was left open. We extend these results in several directions. First, we consider multidimensional mean-payoff objectives. Second, we study both finite-memory and infinite-memory strategies. We show that the multidimensional BWC problem is coNPc in both cases. Third, in the special case when the worst-case objective is unidimensional (but the expectation objective is still multidimensional) we show that the complexity decreases to NP∩coNP. This solves the infinite-memory threshold problem left open by Bruyère et al., and this complexity cannot be improved without improving the currently known complexity of classical mean-payoff games. Finally, we introduce a natural relaxation of the BWC problem, the beyond almost-sure threshold problem (BAS), which asks for the synthesis of a strategy that ensures some minimal level of performance with probability one and a good expectation against the stochastic model of the adversary. We show that the multidimensional BAS threshold problem is solvable in P.

Non-Zero Sum Games for Reactive Synthesis

In this invited contribution, we summarize new solution concepts useful for the synthesis of reactive systems that we have introduced in several recent publications. These solution concepts are developed in the context of non-zero sum games played on graphs. They are part of the contributions obtained in the inVEST project funded by the European Research Council.

Büchi automata can have smaller quotients

We study novel simulation-like preorders for quotienting nondeterministic Buchi automata. We define fixed-word delayed simulation, a new preorder coarser than delayed simulation. We argue that fixed-word simulation is the coarsest forward simulation-like preorder which can be used for quotienting Buchi automata, thus improving our understanding of the limits of quotienting. Also, we show that computing fixed-word simulation is PSPACE-complete. On the practical side, we introduce proxy simulations, which are novel polynomial-time computable preorders sound for quotienting. In particular, delayed proxy simulation induce quotients that can be smaller by an arbitrarily large factor than direct backward simulation. We derive proxy simulations as the product of a theory of refinement transformers: A refinement transformer maps preorders nondecreasingly, preserving certain properties. We study under which general conditions refinement transformers are sound for quotienting.

The Diagonal Problem for Higher-Order Recursion Schemes is Decidable

A non-deterministic recursion scheme recognizes a language of fi-nite trees. This very expressive model can simulate, among others, higher-order pushdown automata with collapse. We show decidability of the diagonal problem for schemes. This result has several interesting consequences. In particular, it gives an algorithm that computes the downward closure of languages of words recognized by schemes. In turn, this has immediate application to separability problems and reachability analysis of concurrent systems.Categories and Subject Descriptors 500 [Theory of computation]: Grammars and context-free languages; 500 [Theory of computation]: Tree languages; 500 [Theory of computation]: Regular languages

Ordered Tree-Pushdown Systems

We define a new class of pushdown systems where the pushdown is a tree instead of a word. We allow a limited form of lookahead on the pushdown conforming to a certain ordering restriction, and we show that the resulting class enjoys a decidable reachability problem. This follows from a preservation of recognizability result for the backward reachability relation of such systems. As an application, we show that our simple model can encode several formalisms generalizing pushdown systems, such as ordered multi-pushdown systems, annotated higher-order pushdown systems, the Krivine machine, and ordered annotated multi-pushdown systems. In each case, our procedure yields tight complexity.

Reachability Analysis of First-order Definable Pushdown Systems

We study pushdown systems where control states, stack alphabet, and transition relation, instead of being finite, are first-order definable in a fixed countably-infinite structure. We show that the reachability analysis can be addressed with the well-known saturation technique for the wide class of oligomorphic structures. Moreover, for the more restrictive homogeneous structures, we are able to give concrete complexity upper bounds. We show ample applicability of our technique by presenting several concrete examples of homogeneous structures, subsuming, with optimal complexity, known results from the literature. We show that infinitely many such examples of homogeneous structures can be obtained with the classical wreath product construction.