Temporal Logics for Communicating Sequential Agents: I

We introduce a class of distributed systems called Communicating Sequential Agents (CSAs). Sound and complete axiomatizations are provided for various subclasses using a family of indexed temporal logics. Some of the important features of these logics are: • Both the formulas and the structures for the logics reflect the fact that a system is composed out of a number of participating sequential agents. • Formulas of the logics are interpreted only at local states. • An agent makes a definite assertion about another agent only if it has received — directly or indirectly — some communication from that agent supporting that assertion.