Process Algebra and Model Checking

Process algebras such as CCS, CSP and ACP are abstract notations for describing concurrent systems that interact via (usually) handshake-based communication. They lead to natural concepts of process state and are therefore natural candidates for model checking. We survey the area of process algebra and model checking, focusing on these three process algebras. We first introduce the syntax and semantics of these process algebras, before looking at the algorithmic basis for their model checking, which includes ideas such as bisimulation and refinement as well as the logics used to describe system-correctness properties. Finally, we introduce the process-alebra-based model-checking tools FDR, CWB and XMC, illustrating their utility by a number of case studies.

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