Verifying communicating agents by model checking in a temporal action logic

Abstract

In this paper we address the problem of specifying and verifying systems of communicating agents in a Dynamic Linear Time Temporal Logic (DLTL). This logic provides a simple formalization of the communicative actions in terms of their effects and preconditions. Furthermore it allows to specify interaction protocols by means of temporal constraints representing permissions and commitments. Agent programs, when known, can be formulated in DLTL as complex actions (regular programs). The paper addresses several kinds of verification problems including the problem of compliance of agents to the protocol, and describes how they can be solved by model checking in DLTL using automata.