Causality Versus True-Concurrency

Category theory has been successfully employed to structure the confusing setup of models and equivalences for concurrency: Winskel and Nielsen have related the standard models via adjunctions and (co)reflections while Joyal et al. have defined an abstract notion of equivalence, known as open map bisimilarity. One model has not been integrated into this framework: the causal trees of Darondeau and Degano. Here we fill this gap. In particular, we show that there is an adjunction from causal trees to event structures, which we bring to light via a mediating model, that of event trees. Further, we achieve an open map characterization of history preserving bisimilarity: the latter is captured by the natural instantiation of the abstract bisimilarity for causal trees.     

Bisimilarity of Open Terms

Traditionally, in process calculi, relations over open terms, i.e., terms with free process variables, are defined as extensions of closed-term relations: two open terms are related if and only if all their closed instantiations are related. Working in the context of bisimulation, in this paper we study a different approach; we define semantic models for open terms, so-called conditional transition systems, and define bisimulation directly on those models. It turns out that this can be done in at least two different ways, one giving rise to De Simone's formal hypothesis bisimilarity and the other to a variation which we call hypothesis-preserving bisimilarity (denoted ^fh and ^hp, respectively). For open terms, we have (strict) inclusions ^fhhpci (the latter denoting the standard “closed instance” extension); for closed terms, the three coincide. Each of these relations is a congruence in the usual sense. We also give an alternative characterisation of ^hp in terms of nonconditional transitions, as substitution-closed bisimilarity (denoted ^sb). Finally, we study the issue of recursion congruence: we prove that each of the above relations is a congruence with respect to the recursion operator; however, for ^ci this result holds under more restrictive conditions than for ^fh and ^hp.     

The logic of events

An event space is a set of instantaneous events that vary both in time and specificity. The concept of an event space provides a foundation for a logical – i.e., modular and open – approach to causal reasoning. In this article, we propose intuitively transparent axioms for event spaces. These axioms are constructive in the intuitionistic sense, and hence they can be used directly for causal reasoning in any computational logical framework that accommodates type theory. We also put the axioms in classical form and show that in this form they are adequate for the representation in terms of event trees established by Shafer [40] using stronger axioms. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Resource bisimilarity and graded bisimilarity coincide

Resource bisimilarity has been proposed in the literature on concurrency theory as a notion of bisimilarity over labeled transition systems that takes into account the number of choices that a system has. Independently, g-bisimilarity has been defined over Kripke models as a suitable notion of bisimilarity for graded modal logic. This note shows that these two notions of bisimilarity coincide over image-finite Kripke frames.     

Resource bisimilarity and graded bisimilarity coincide

Resource bisimilarity has been proposed in the literature on concurrency theory as a notion of bisimilarity over labeled transition systems that takes into account the number of choices that a system has. Independently, g-bisimilarity has been defined over Kripke models as a suitable notion of bisimilarity for graded modal logic. This note shows that these two notions of bisimilarity coincide over image-finite Kripke frames.     

Branching bisimulation for probabilistic systems: Characteristics and decidability

We address the concept of abstraction in the setting of probabilistic reactive systems, and study its formal underpinnings for the strictly alternating model of Hansson. In particular, we define the notion of branching bisimilarity and study its properties by studying two other equivalence relations, viz. coloured trace equivalence and branching bisimilarity using maximal probabilities. We show that both alternatives coincide with branching bisimilarity. The alternative characterisations have their own merits and focus on different aspects of branching bisimilarity. Coloured trace equivalence can be understood without knowledge of probability theory and is independent of the notion of a scheduler. Branching bisimilarity, rephrased in terms of maximal probabilities gives rise to an algorithm of polynomial complexity for deciding the equivalence. Together they give a better understanding of branching bisimilarity. Furthermore, we show that the notions of branching bisimilarity in the alternating model of Hansson and in the non-alternating model of Segala differ: branching bisimilarity in the latter setting turns out to discriminate between systems that are intuitively branching bisimilar.     

Complexity results for structure-based causality

We give a precise picture of the computational complexity of causal relationships in Pearl's structural models, where we focus on causality between variables, event causality, and probabilistic causality. As for causality between variables, we consider the notions of causal irrelevance, cause, cause in a context, direct cause, and indirect cause. As for event causality, we analyze the complexity of the notions of necessary and possible cause, and of the sophisticated notions of weak and actual cause by Halpern and Pearl. In the course of this, we also prove an open conjecture by Halpern and Pearl, and establish other semantic results. We then analyze the complexity of the probabilistic notions of probabilistic causal irrelevance, likely causes of events, and occurrences of events despite other events. Moreover, we consider decision and optimization problems involving counterfactual formulas. To our knowledge, no complexity aspects of causal relationships in the structural-model approach have been considered so far, and our results shed light on this issue.     

Efficient computation of marginal probabilities in multivalued causal inverted multiway trees given incomplete information

Maung and Paris [Internat J Intell Syst 1990, 5(5), 595–603] have shown that, in the general case, solving causal networks using maximum entropy techniques is NP complete. This paper considers multivalued causal inverted multiway trees, a nontrivial class of causal networks, in which any event can be influenced by any number of other events but itself only influences at most one event. We show that for this class of causal networks, maximum entropy can be used to find minimally prejudiced estimates for missing information. The techniques required for the current problem are substantially different from those used in the case of causal multiway trees in that nonlinear constraints arising from independence have to be incorporated. In addition, a new algebraic method is presented which isolates an unknown Lagrange multiplier by using the quotient of two pairs of state probabilities. Equating the joint probability distributions given by the Bayesian and maximum entropy models enables the Lagrange multipliers of the latter to be determined. An efficient iterative tree traversal algorithm which converges to the minimally prejudiced estimates for the missing information is described. When this information is added to that already provided, any existing method for updating the causal network can be used. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Self-assembling Trees

RCCS is a variant of Milner's CCS where processes are allowed a controlled form of backtracking. It turns out that the RCCS reinterpretation of a CCS process is equivalent, in the sense of weak bisimilarity, to its causal transition system in CCS. This can be used to develop an efficient method for designing distributed algorithms, which we illustrate here by deriving a distributed algorithm for assembling trees. Such a problem requires solving a highly distributed consensus, and a comparison with a traditional CCS-based solution shows that the code we obtain is shorter, easier to understand, and easier to prove correct by hand, or even to verify.     

Branching bisimulation congruence for probabilistic systems

A notion of branching bisimilarity for the alternating model of probabilistic systems, compatible with parallel composition, is defined. For a congruence result, an internal transition immediately followed by a non-trivial probability distribution is not considered inert. A weaker definition of branching bisimilarity for the same model has been given earlier. Here we show that our branching bisimulation is the coarsest congruence for parallel composition that is included in the weaker version. To support the use of the present equivalence as a reduction technique, we also show that probabilistic CTL formulae are preserved by our equivalence, and we provide a polynomial-time algorithm deciding branching bisimilarity.     

Unprovability of the logical characterization of bisimulation

We quickly review labelled Markov processes (LMP) and provide a counterexample showing that in general measurable spaces, event bisimilarity and state bisimilarity differ in LMP. This shows that the Hennessy-Milner logic proposed by Desharnais does not characterize state bisimulation in non-analytic measurable spaces. Furthermore we show that, under current foundations of Mathematics, such logical characterization is unprovable for spaces that are projections of a coanalytic set. Underlying this construction there is a proof that stationary Markov processes over general measurable spaces do not have semi-pullbacks.     

Reactive systems, (semi-)saturated semantics and coalgebras on presheaves

The semantics of process calculi has traditionally been specified by labelled transition systems (ltss), but, with the development of name calculi, it turned out that reaction rules (i.e., unlabelled transition rules) are often more natural. This leads to the question of how behavioral equivalences (bisimilarity, trace equivalence, etc.) defined for lts can be transferred to unlabelled transition systems. Recently, in order to answer this question, several proposals have been made with the aim of automatically deriving an lts from reaction rules in such a way that the resulting equivalences are congruences. Furthermore, these equivalences should agree with the standard semantics, whenever one exists.In this paper, we propose saturated semantics, based on a weaker notion of observation and orthogonal to all the previous proposals, and we demonstrate the appropriateness of our semantics by means of two examples: logic programming and open Petri nets. We also show that saturated semantics can be efficiently characterized through the so called semi-saturated games. Finally, we provide coalgebraic models relying on presheaves.     

Complexity of Weak Bisimilarity and Regularity for BPA and BPP

It is an open problem whether weak bisimilarity is decidable for Basic Process Algebra (BPA) and Basic Parallel Processes (BPP). A PSPACE lower bound for BPA and NP lower bound for BPP have been demonstrated by Stribrna. Mayr achieved recently a result, saying that weak bisimilarity for BPP is Π^p₂-hard. We improve this lower bound to PSPACE, moreover for the restricted class of normed BPP.Weak regularity (finiteness) of BPA and BPP is not known to be decidable either. In the case of BPP there is a Π^p₂-hardness result by Mayr, which we improve to PSPACE. No lower bound has previously been established for BPA. We demonstrate DP-hardness, which in particular implies both NP and co-NP-hardness.In each of the bisimulation/regularity problems we consider also the classes of normed processes.Note: full version of the paper appears as [18].     

The efficient estimation of missing information in causal inverted multiway trees

Causal networks require probability values to be supplied for all possible combinations of outcomes in the cause–effect relationships implied by the network. Only then is it possible to use the existing methods for updating the information in the network to reflect new knowledge gained in a specific situation. Supplying causal information which is complete and accurate is not always possible in many applications, for example Decision Support Systems. This requirement becomes even more difficult to achieve when a single event is influenced by a large number of other events.Maximum Entropy can be used to find minimally prejudiced estimates for missing information but this approach is, in general, computationally infeasible.However, the authors have already shown that for certain special cases of causal networks such estimates can, in fact, be found in linear time.This article extends the work to causal inverted multiway trees in which any event can be influenced by any number of other events but itself only influences at most one event. In order to achieve this extension a thorough analysis of the traditional Bayesian model is undertaken to identify the large number of constraints which a valid Maximum Entropy model must satisfy. A simplified Maximum Entropy model is proposed and formal proofs that this satisfies the Bayesian properties are given.Equating the joint event probability distributions given by the Bayesian and Maximum Entropy models enables the Lagrange multipliers of the latter to be determined. This leads to an iterative tree traversal algorithm which converges to the minimally prejudiced estimates for the missing information. When this information is added to that already provided, any existing method for updating the causal network can be utilised.     

A fully abstract semantics for value-passing CCS for trees

We propose a fully abstract semantics for valuepassing CCS for trees (VCCTS) with the feature that processes are located at the vertices of a graph whose edges describe possible interaction capabilities. The operational semantics is given both in terms of a reduction semantics and in terms of a labelled transition semantics. We develop a theory of behavioral equivalences by introducing both weak barbed congruence and weak bisimilarity. In particular, we show that, on image-finite processes, weak barbed congruence coincides with weak bisimilarity. To illustrate potential applications and the powerful expressiveness of VCCTS, we formally compare VCCTS with some well-known models, e.g., dynamic pushdown networks, top-down tree automata and value-passing CCS.     

Equivalences for Silent Transitions in Probabilistic Systems: (Extended Abstract)

We address abstraction in the setting of probabilistic reactive systems, and study its formal underpinnings for the strictly alternating model. In particular, we define the notion of branching bisimilarity and study its properties by studying two other equivalence relations, viz. coloured trace equivalence and branching bisimilarity using maximal probabilities. We show that both alternatives coincide with branching bisimilarity. The alternative characterisations have their own merits and focus on different aspects of branching bisimilarity. Together they give a better understanding of branching bisimilarity. A crucial observation, and, in fact a major motivation for this work is that the notions of branching bisimilarity in the alternating and in the non-alternating model differ, and that the latter one discriminates between systems that are intuitively branching bisimilar.     

A congruence rule format for name-passing process calculi

We introduce a GSOS-like rule format for name-passing process calculi. Specifications in this format correspond to theories in nominal logic. The intended models of such specifications arise by initiality from a general categorical model theory. For operational semantics given in this rule format, a natural behavioural equivalence—a form of open bisimilarity—is a congruence.     

Complexity of Weak Bisimilarity and Regularity for BPA and BPP

It is an open problem whether weak bisimilarity is decidable for Basic Process Algebra (BPA) and Basic Parallel Processes (BPP). A PSPACE lower bound for BPA and NP lower bound for BPP have been demonstrated by Stribrna. Mayr achieved recently a result, saying that weak bisimilarity for BPP is Π^p₂-hard. We improve this lower bound to PSPACE, moreover for the restricted class of normed BPP.Weak regularity (finiteness) of BPA and BPP is not known to be decidable either. In the case of BPP there is a Π^p₂-hardness result by Mayr, which we improve to PSPACE. No lower bound has previously been established for BPA. We demonstrate DP-hardness, which in particular implies both NP and co-NP-hardness.In each of the bisimulation/regularity problems we consider also the classes of normed processes.Note: full version of the paper appears as [18].     

Decidability of Branching Bisimulation on Normed Commutative Context-Free Processes

We investigate normed commutative context-free processes (Basic Parallel Processes). We show that branching bisimilarity admits the bounded response property: in the Bisimulation Game, Duplicator always has a response leading to a process of size linearly bounded with respect to the Spoiler’s process. The linear bound is effective, which leads to decidability of branching bisimilarity. For weak bisimilarity, we are able merely to show existence of some linear bound, which is not sufficient for decidability. We conjecture however that the same effective bound holds for weak bisimilarity as well. We suppose that further elaboration of novel techniques developed in this paper may be sufficient to demonstrate decidability.     

一种故障树结构匹配算法及其应用

面对以故障树形式汇集的大量历史事故案例,故障树结构匹配是借鉴历史经验在有限时间、人力和成本下实现对新事故准确和全面调查的有效手段。根据事件演化的时序和因果推理的结构特征,提出一种故障树结构匹配算法。通过构造故障树结构匹配的隐马尔可夫模型,利用维特比算法预测待匹配序列的最佳序列。实验数据显示,相对于基于节点的结构匹配算法,该算法在匹配的准确性、结构缺陷的检测效果等方面有显著提升。