Ocan Sankur

Percentile Queries in Multi-dimensional Markov Decision Processes

Markov decision processes (MDPs) with multi-dimensional weights are useful to analyze systems with multiple objectives that may be conflicting and require the analysis of trade-offs. In this paper, we study the complexity of percentile queries in such MDPs and give algorithms to synthesize strategies that enforce such constraints. Given a multi-dimensional weighted MDP and a quantitative payoff function f, thresholds \(v_i\) (one per dimension), and probability thresholds \(\alpha _i\), we show how to compute a single strategy to enforce that for all dimensions i, the probability of outcomes \(\rho \) satisfying \(f_i(\rho ) \ge v_i\) is at least \(\alpha _i\). We consider classical quantitative payoffs from the literature (sup, inf, lim sup, lim inf, mean-payoff, truncated sum, discounted sum). Our work extends to the quantitative case the multi-objective model checking problem studied by Etessami et al. [16] in unweighted MDPs.

Timed automata can always be made implementable

Timed automata follow a mathematical semantics, which assumes perfect precision and synchrony of clocks. Since this hypothesis does not hold in digital systems, properties proven formally on a timed automaton may be lost at implementation. In order to ensure implementability, several approaches have been considered, corresponding to different hypotheses on the implementation platform. We address two of these: A timed automaton is samplable if its semantics is preserved under a discretization of time; it is robust if its semantics is preserved when all timing constraints are relaxed by some small positive parameter. We propose a construction which makes timed automata implementable in the above sense: From any timed automaton A, we build a timed automaton A′ that exhibits the same behaviour as A, and moreover A′ is both robust and samplable by construction.

Shrinking Timed Automata

We define and study a new approach to the implementability of timed automata, where the semantics is perturbed by imprecisions and finite frequency of the hardware. In order to circumvent these effects, we introduce parametric shrinking of clock constraints, which corresponds to tightening these. We propose symbolic procedures to decide the existence of (and then compute) parameters under which the shrunk version of a given timed automaton is non-blocking and can time-abstract simulate the exact semantics. We then define an implementation semantics for timed automata with a digital clock and positive reaction times, and show that for shrinkable timed automata, non-blockingness and time-abstract simulation are preserved in implementation.

Robust model-checking of timed automata via pumping in channel machines

Timed automata are governed by a mathematical semantics which assumes perfectly continuous and precise clocks. This requirement is not satisfied by digital hardware on which the models are implemented. In fact, it was shown that the presence of imprecisions, however small they may be, may yield extra behaviours. Therefore correctness proven on the formal model does not imply correctness of the real system. The problem of robust model-checking was then defined to circumvent this inconsistency. It consists in computing a bound on the imprecision under which the system will be correct. In this work, we show that robust model-checking against ω-regular properties for timed automata can be reduced to standard model-checking of timed automata, by computing an adequate bound on the imprecision. This yields a new algorithm for robust model-checking of ω-regular properties, which is both optimal and valid for general timed automata.

Robust controller synthesis in timed automata

We consider the fundamental problem of Buchi acceptance in timed automata in a robust setting. The problem is formalised in terms of controller synthesis: timed automata are equipped with a parametrised game-based semantics that models the possible perturbations of the decisions taken by the controller. We characterise timed automata that are robustly controllable for some parameter, with a simple graph theoretic condition, by showing the equivalence with the existence of an aperiodic lasso that satisfies the winning condition (aperiodicity was defined and used earlier in different contexts to characterise convergence phenomena in timed automata). We then show decidability and PSPACE-completeness of our problem.

The first reactive synthesis competition (SYNTCOMP 2014)

We introduce the reactive synthesis competition (SYNTCOMP), a long-term effort intended to stimulate and guide advances in the design and application of synthesis procedures for reactive systems. The first iteration of SYNTCOMP is based on the controller synthesis problem for finite-state systems and safety specifications. We provide an overview of this problem and existing approaches to solve it, and report on the design and results of the first SYNTCOMP. This includes the definition of the benchmark format, the collection of benchmarks, the rules of the competition, and the five synthesis tools that participated. We present and analyze the results of the competition and draw conclusions on the state of the art. Finally, we give an outlook on future directions of SYNTCOMP.

Online Correlation Clustering

We study the online clustering problem where data items arrive in an online fashion. The algorithm maintains a clustering of data items into similarity classes. Upon arrival of v, the relation between v and previously arrived items is revealed, so that for each u we are told whether v is similar to u. The algorithm can create a new cluster for v and merge existing clusters. When the objective is to minimize disagreements between the clustering and the input, we prove that a natural greedy algorithm is O(n)-competitive, and this is optimal. When the objective is to maximize agreements between the clustering and the input, we prove that the greedy algorithm is .5-competitive; that no online algorithm can be better than .834-competitive; we prove that it is possible to get better than 1/2, by exhibiting a randomized algorithm with competitive ratio .5+c for a small positive fixed constant c.

The Second Reactive Synthesis Competition (SYNTCOMP 2015)

We report on the design and results of the second reactive synthesis competition (SYNTCOMP 2015). We describe our extended benchmark library, with 6 completely new sets of benchmarks, and additional challenging instances for 4 of the benchmark sets that were already used in SYNTCOMP 2014. To enhance the analysis of experimental results, we introduce an extension of our benchmark format with meta-information, including a difficulty rating and a reference size for solutions. Tools are evaluated on a set of 250 benchmarks, selected to provide a good coverage of benchmarks from all classes and difficulties. We report on changes of the evaluation scheme and the experimental setup. Finally, we describe the entrants into SYNTCOMP 2015, as well as the results of our experimental evaluation. In our analysis, we emphasize progress over the tools that participated last year.

Assume-admissible synthesis

In this paper, we introduce a novel rule for synthesis of reactive systems, applicable to systems made of n components which have each their own objectives. This rule is based on the notion of admissible strategies. We compare this rule with previous rules defined in the literature, and show that contrary to the previous proposals, it defines sets of solutions which are rectangular. This property leads to solutions which are robust and resilient, and allows one to synthesize strategies separately for each agent. We provide algorithms with optimal complexity and also an abstraction framework compatible with the new rule.

Robustness in Timed Automata

In this paper we survey several approaches to the robustness of timed automata, that is, the ability of a system to resist to slight perturbations or errors. We will concentrate on robustness against timing errors which can be due to measuring errors, imprecise clocks, and unexpected runtime behaviors such as execution times that are longer or shorter than expected.