Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mcta: Heuristics and Search for Timed Systems

  • Conference paper
Formal Modeling and Analysis of Timed Systems (FORMATS 2012)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNTCS,volume 7595))

Abstract

Mcta is a directed model checking tool for concurrent systems of timed automata. This paper reviews Mcta and its new developments from an implementation point of view. The new developments include both heuristics and search techniques that define the state of the art in directed model checking. In particular, Mcta features the powerful class of pattern database heuristics for efficiently finding shortest possible error traces. Furthermore, Mcta offers new search techniques based on multi-queue search algorithms. Our evaluation demonstrates that Mcta is able to significantly outperform previous versions of Mcta as well as related state-of-the-art tools like Uppaal and Uppaal/Dmc.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Alur, R., Dill, D.L.: A theory of timed automata. Theor. Comput. Sci. 126(2), 183–235 (1994)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. Behrmann, G., Bengtsson, J.E., David, A., Larsen, K.G., Pettersson, P., Yi, W.: UPPAAL Implementation Secrets. In: Damm, W., Olderog, E.-R. (eds.) FTRTFT 2002. LNCS, vol. 2469, pp. 3–22. Springer, Heidelberg (2002)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Behrmann, G., David, A., Larsen, K.G.: A Tutorial on Uppaal. In: Bernardo, M., Corradini, F. (eds.) SFM-RT 2004. LNCS, vol. 3185, pp. 200–236. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  4. Culberson, J.C., Schaeffer, J.: Pattern databases. Comp. Int. 14(3), 318–334 (1998)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  5. Dierks, H.: Comparing model-checking and logical reasoning for real-time systems. Formal Aspects of Computing 16(2), 104–120 (2004)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Dierks, H.: Time, Abstraction and Heuristics – Automatic Verification and Planning of Timed Systems using Abstraction and Heuristics. Habilitation thesis, University of Oldenburg, Germany (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Edelkamp, S.: Planning with pattern databases. In: Proc. ECP, pp. 13–24 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Edelkamp, S., Leue, S., Lluch-Lafuente, A.: Directed explicit-state model checking in the validation of communication protocols. STTT 5(2), 247–267 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Edelkamp, S., Schuppan, V., Bošnački, D., Wijs, A., Fehnker, A., Aljazzar, H.: Survey on Directed Model Checking. In: Peled, D.A., Wooldridge, M.J. (eds.) MoChArt 2008. LNCS, vol. 5348, pp. 65–89. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  10. Floyd, R.W.: Algorithm 97: Shortest path. Communications of the ACM 5(6), 345 (1962)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hart, P.E., Nilsson, N.J., Raphael, B.: A formal basis for the heuristic determination of minimum cost paths. IEEE Trans. Systems Science and Cybernetics 4(2), 100–107 (1968)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Hart, P.E., Nilsson, N.J., Raphael, B.: Correction to a formal basis for the heuristic determination of minimum cost paths. SIGART Newsletter 37, 28–29 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Helmert, M.: The Fast Downward planning system. JAIR 26, 191–246 (2006)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. Hoffmann, J., Nebel, B.: The FF planning system: Fast plan generation through heuristic search. JAIR 14, 253–302 (2001)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  15. Krieg-Brückner, B., Peleska, J., Olderog, E.R., Baer, A.: The UniForM workbench, a universal development environment for formal methods. In: Proc. MF, pp. 1186–1205. Springer (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kupferschmid, S., Dräger, K., Hoffmann, J., Finkbeiner, B., Dierks, H., Podelski, A., Behrmann, G.: Uppaal/DMC – Abstraction-Based Heuristics for Directed Model Checking. In: Grumberg, O., Huth, M. (eds.) TACAS 2007. LNCS, vol. 4424, pp. 679–682. Springer, Heidelberg (2007)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  17. Kupferschmid, S., Hoffmann, J., Dierks, H., Behrmann, G.: Adapting an AI Planning Heuristic for Directed Model Checking. In: Valmari, A. (ed.) SPIN 2006. LNCS, vol. 3925, pp. 35–52. Springer, Heidelberg (2006)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  18. Kupferschmid, S., Wehrle, M.: Abstractions and Pattern Databases: The Quest for Succinctness and Accuracy. In: Abdulla, P.A., Leino, K.R.M. (eds.) TACAS 2011. LNCS, vol. 6605, pp. 276–290. Springer, Heidelberg (2011)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  19. Kupferschmid, S., Wehrle, M., Nebel, B., Podelski, A.: Faster Than Uppaal? In: Gupta, A., Malik, S. (eds.) CAV 2008. LNCS, vol. 5123, pp. 552–555. Springer, Heidelberg (2008)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  20. Musuvathi, M., Qadeer, S.: Iterative context bounding for systematic testing of multithreaded programs. In: Proc. PLDI, pp. 446–455. ACM Press (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Olderog, E.R., Dierks, H.: Moby/RT: A tool for specification and verification of real-time systems. J. UCS 9(2), 88–105 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Pearl, J.: Heuristics: Intelligent Search Strategies for Computer Problem Solving. Addison-Wesley (1984)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Röger, G., Helmert, M.: The more, the merrier: Combining heuristic estimators for satisficing planning. In: Proc. ICAPS, pp. 246–249. AAAI Press (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Wehrle, M., Kupferschmid, S.: Context-Enhanced Directed Model Checking. In: van de Pol, J., Weber, M. (eds.) SPIN 2010. LNCS, vol. 6349, pp. 88–105. Springer, Heidelberg (2010)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  25. Wehrle, M., Kupferschmid, S., Podelski, A.: Useless actions are useful. In: Proc. ICAPS, pp. 388–395. AAAI Press (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Wehrle, M., Kupferschmid, S., Podelski, A.: Transition-Based Directed Model Checking. In: Kowalewski, S., Philippou, A. (eds.) TACAS 2009. LNCS, vol. 5505, pp. 186–200. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Basel, Switzerland

    Martin Wehrle

  2. ATRiCS Advanced Traffic Solutions GmbH, Freiburg, Germany

    Sebastian Kupferschmid

Authors
  1. Martin Wehrle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sebastian Kupferschmid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK

    Marcin Jurdziński

  2. Business Unit Safe and Autonomous Systems, Department of Safety and Security, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Donau-City-Str. 1, 1220, Vienna, Austria

    Dejan Ničković

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Wehrle, M., Kupferschmid, S. (2012). Mcta: Heuristics and Search for Timed Systems. In: Jurdziński, M., Ničković, D. (eds) Formal Modeling and Analysis of Timed Systems. FORMATS 2012. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 7595. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33365-1_18

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33365-1_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-33364-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-33365-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation