Weak bisimilarity between finite-state systems and BPA or normed BPP is decidable in polynomial time

We prove that weak bisimilarity is decidable in polynomial time between finite-state systems and several classes of infinite-state systems: context-free processes and normed basic parallel processes (normed BPP). To the best of our knowledge, these are the first polynomial algorithms for weak bisimilarity problems involving infinite-state systems.     

Deciding probabilistic bisimilarity over infinite-state probabilistic systems

We prove that probabilistic bisimilarity is decidable over probabilistic extensions of BPA and BPP processes. For normed subclasses of probabilistic BPA and BPP processes we obtain polynomial-time algorithms. Further, we show that probabilistic bisimilarity between probabilistic pushdown automata and finite-state systems is decidable in exponential time. If the number of control states in PDA is bounded by a fixed constant, then the algorithm needs only polynomial time. The work has been supported by the research centre Institute for Theoretical Computer Science (ITI), project No. 1M0545.     

Refining the Undecidability Border of Weak Bisimilarity

Weak bisimilarity is one of the most studied behavioural equivalences. This equivalence is undecidable for pushdown processes (PDA), process algebras (PA), and multiset automata (MSA, also known as parallel pushdown processes, PPDA). Its decidability is an open question for basic process algebras (BPA) and basic parallel processes (BPP). We move the undecidability border towards these classes by showing that the equivalence remains undecidable for weakly extended versions of BPA and BPP. In fact, we show that the weak bisimulation equivalence problem is undecidable even for normed subclasses of BPA and BPP extended with a finite constraint system.     

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.     

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].     

Weak bisimilarity and regularity of context-free processes is EXPTIME-hard

We show that checking weak bisimulation equivalence of two context-free processes (also called BPA-processes) is EXPTIME-hard, even under the condition that the processes are normed. Furthermore, checking weak regularity (finiteness up to weak bisimilarity) for context-free processes is EXPTIME-hard as well. Adding a finite control of the minimal non-trivial size of 2 to the BPA process already makes weak bisimilarity undecidable.     

Decidability of performance equivalence for basic parallel processes

We study an extension of the class of Basic Parallel Processes (BPP), in which actions are durational and urgent and parallel components have independent local clocks. The main result is decidability of strong bisimilarity, known also as performance equivalence, in this class. This extends the earlier decidability result for plain BPP by Christensen et al. Our decision procedure is based on decidability of the validity problem for Presburger arithmetic. We prove also polynomial complexity in positive-duration fragment, thus properly extending a previous result by Bérard et al. Both ill-timed and well-timed semantics are treated.     

Simulation Preorder over Simple Process Algebras

We consider the problem of simulation preorder/equivalence between infinite-state processes and finite-state ones. First, we describe a general method how to utilize the decidability of bisimulation problems to solve (certain instances of) the corresponding simulation problems. For certain process classes, the method allows us to design effective reductions of simulation problems to their bisimulation counterparts and some new decidability results for simulation have already been obtained in this way. Then we establish the decidability border for the problem of simulation preorder/equivalence between infinite-state processes and finite-state ones w.r.t. the hierarchy of process rewrite systems. In particular, we show that simulation preorder (in both directions) and simulation equivalence are decidable in EXPTIME between pushdown processes and finite-state ones. On the other hand, simulation preorder is undecidable between PA and finite-state processes in both directions. These results also hold for those PA and finite-state processes which are deterministic and normed, and thus immediately extend to trace preorder. Regularity (finiteness) w.r.t. simulation and trace equivalence is also shown to be undecidable for PA. Finally, we prove that simulation preorder (in both directions) and simulation equivalence are intractable between all classes of infinite-state systems (in the hierarchy of process rewrite systems) and finite-state ones. This result is obtained by showing that the problem whether a BPA (or BPP) process simulates a finite-state one is PSPACE-hard and the other direction is co -hard; consequently, simulation equivalence between BPA (or BPP) and finite-state processes is also co -hard.     

Partially-commutative context-free processes: Expressibility and tractability

Bisimulation equivalence is decidable in polynomial time for both sequential and commutative normed context-free processes, known as BPA and BPP, respectively. Despite apparent similarity between the two classes, different algorithmic techniques were used in each case. We provide one polynomial-time algorithm that works in a superclass of both normed BPA and BPP. It is derived in the setting of partially-commutative context-free processes, a new process class introduced in the paper. It subsumes both BPA and BPP and seems to be of independent interest. Expressibility issue of the new class, in comparison with the normed PA class, is also tackled in the paper.     

An Effective Coalgebraic Bisimulation Proof Method

The bisimulation “up-to-…” technique provides an effective way to relieve the amount of work in proving bisimilarity of two processes. This paper develops a fresh and direct approach to generalize this set-theoretic “up-to-...” principle to the setting of coalgebra theory. The notion of consistent function is introduced, as a generalization of Sangiorgi's sound function. Then, in order to prove that there are only bisimilar pairs in a relation, it is sufficient to find a morphism from it to the “lifting” of its image under some consistent function. One example is given showing that every self-bisimulation in normed BPA is just such a relation. What's more, we investigate the connection between span-bisimulation and ref-bisimulation. As a result, λ-bisimulation turns out to be covered by our new principle.     

On Solvability of a Decentralized Supervisory Control Problem With Communication

We study a decentralized control problem of discrete event systems with communication. We first give a general automata-theoretic formalism that enables us to handle various types of communication, including delay. The decentralized control problem is shown to be undecidable under this formalism. Next we propose a semi-decision procedure for computing finite-state controllers to achieve a given specification in the sense of bisimilarity between the controlled system and a given specification. Using this procedure, we prove decidability of the problem for two special cases, one is the case in which the communication behavior is given as $k$ -bounded-delay communication, and the other is the case in which any cycle in the state transition diagram of the system contains an event observable by all controllers. We also show a method for optimizing controllers based on a graph problem.      

(η,α)-互模拟的分层及判定算法

分层刻画是传统的互模拟概念研究中的一个重要内容,它为一些互模拟判定算法提供了理论基石。(η,α)-互模拟是一种带折扣的近似互模拟概念,其定义蕴涵着一种折扣思想:在比较系统差异时,越晚出现的差异越不重要。为(η,α)-互模拟建立分层刻画,将清晰地揭示这种折扣思想。此外,由于(η,α)-互模拟一般不是等价关系,所以传统的互模拟判定算法中常用的最粗划分方法不适用于(η,α)-互模拟的判定,基于(η,α)-互模拟的分层刻画给出一种该互模拟的判定算法。还提供一个简单的例子用于说明(η,α)-互模拟及其判定算法在描述实现与规范之间关系时的应用。     

On the expressiveness and decidability of higher-order process calculi

In higher-order process calculi, the values exchanged in communications may contain processes. A core calculus of higher-order concurrency is studied; it has only the operators necessary to express higher-order communications: input prefix, process output, and parallel composition. By exhibiting a deterministic encoding of Minsky machines, the calculus is shown to be Turing complete. Therefore its termination problem is undecidable. Strong bisimilarity, however, is shown to be decidable. Furthermore, the main forms of strong bisimilarity for higher-order processes (higher-order bisimilarity, context bisimilarity, normal bisimilarity, barbed congruence) coincide. They also coincide with their asynchronous versions. A sound and complete axiomatization of bisimilarity is given. Finally, bisimilarity is shown to become undecidable if at least four static (i.e., top-level) restrictions are added to the calculus.     

A general inequality of Chebyshev type for semi(co)normed fuzzy integrals

Generalization of the Chebyshev inequality for semi(co)normed fuzzy integrals on an abstract fuzzy measure space based on a binary operation is given. Also, Minkowski’s and Hölder’s inequalities for semi(co)normed fuzzy integrals are studied in a rather general form. The main results of this paper generalize some previous results. Finally, a conclusion is drawn and an open problem for further investigations is given.     

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.     

A modal characterization of alternating approximate bisimilarity

Recently, alternating transition systems are adopted to describe control systems with disturbances and their finite abstract systems. In order to capture the equivalence relation between these systems, a notion of alternating approximate bisimilarity is introduced. This paper aims to establish a modal characterization for alternating approximate bisimilarity. Based on this result, we provide a link between specifications satisfied by the samples of control systems with disturbances and their finite abstractions. Moreover, a simple example is given to illustrate the application of such link in the design of controller of control systems.     

Bisimilarity in Term Graph Rewriting

We present a survey of confluence properties of (acyclic) term graph rewriting. Results and counterexamples are given for different kinds of term graph rewriting; besides plain applications of rewrite rules, extensions with the operations of collapsing and copying, and both operations together are considered. Collapsing and copying together constitute bisimilarity of term graphs. We establish sufficient conditions for—and counterexamples to—confluence, confluence modulo bisimilarity, and the Church–Rosser property modulo bisimilarity. Moreover, we address rewriting modulo bisimilarity, that is, rewriting of bisimilarity classes of term graphs.     

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.     

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.