Specification and Verification of Concurrent Programs By Forall-Automata

Abstract

∀-automata are non-deterministic finite-state automata over infinite sequences. They differ from conventional automata in that a sequence is accepted if all runs of the automaton over the sequence are accepting. These automata are suggested as a formalism for the specification and verification of temporal properties of concurrent programs. It is shown that they are as expressive as extended-temporal-logic (ETL), and in some cases provide a more compact representation of properties than temporal logic. A structured diagram notation is suggested for the graphical representation of these automata. A single sound and complete proof rule is presented for proving that all computations of a program have the property specified by a ∀-automaton.