research-article

Evolving concurrent systems: behavioural theory and logic

Authors:

Klaus-Dieter Schewe,

Flavio Ferrarotti,

Wenya AnAuthors Info & Claims

ACSW '17: Proceedings of the Australasian Computer Science Week Multiconference

Article No.: 77, Pages 1 - 10

https://doi.org/10.1145/3014812.3017446

Published: 31 January 2017 Publication History

Abstract

A concurrent system can be characterised by autonomously acting agents, where each agent executes its own program, uses shared resources and communicates with the others, but otherwise is totally oblivious to the behaviour of the other agents. In an evolving concurrent system agents may change their programs, enter or leave the collection at any time thereby changing the behaviour of the overall system. In this paper we present a behavioural theory of evolving concurrent systems, i.e. we provide (1) a small set of postulates that characterise evolving concurrent systems in a precise conceptual way without any reference to a particular language, (2) an abstract machine model together with a plausibility proof that the abstract machines satisfy the postulates, and (3) a characterisation proof that any system stipulated by the postulates can be step-by-step simulated by an abstract machine. The theory integrates the behavioural theories for unbounded (synchronous) parallel algorithms, asynchronous concurrent systems, and reflective algorithms, respectively. However, in the latter two theories only sequential agents and sequential reflective algorithms were considered. Furthermore, linguistic reflection has not been integrated with parallelism. We will show how these research gaps can be closed.

The behavioural theory implies that concurrent reflective Abstract State Machines (crASMs) can be used as a specification and development language for evolving concurrent systems. We therefore investigate a logic for crASMs. Based on the simple observation that concurrent ASMs can be mimicked by non-deterministic parallel ASMs we exploit the complete one-step logic for non-deterministic ASMs for the definition of a logic capturing concurrency. By making the extra-logical rules in the logic subject to being interpreted in a state we extend the logic to capture also reflection.

References

[1]

Abrial, J.-R. The B-book - Assigning programs to meanings. Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Digital Library

[2]

Abrial, J.-R. Modeling in Event-B - System and Software Engineering. Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Digital Library

[3]

An, W. Formal specification and analysis of asynchronous mutual exclusion algorithms. Master's thesis, JKU Linz, Austria, 2016.

[4]

Blass, A., and Gurevich, Y. Abstract State Machines capture parallel algorithms. ACM Trans. Computational Logic 4(4) (2003), 578--651.

Digital Library

[5]

Blass, A., and Gurevich, Y. Abstract State Machines capture parallel algorithms: Correction and extension. ACM Transactions on Computation Logic 9, 3 (2008).

Digital Library

[6]

Börger, E. The ASM refinement method. Formal Aspects of Computing 15, 2--3 (2003), 237--257.

[7]

Börger, E., and Schewe, K.-D. Concurrent Abstract State Machines. Acta Informatica 53, 5 (2016), 469--492.

Digital Library

[8]

Börger, E., and Stärk, R. F. Abstract State Machines. A Method for High-Level System Design and Analysis. Springer, 2003.

[9]

Ferrarotti, F., Schewe, K.-D., and Tec, L. A behavioural theory for reflective sequential algorithms, 2016. submitted for publication.

[10]

Ferrarotti, F., Schewe, K.-D., and Tec, L. A complete logic for non-deterministic parallel ASMs, 2016. submitted for publication.

[11]

Ferrarotti, F., Schewe, K.-D., Tec, L., and Wang, Q. A new thesis concerning synchronised parallel computing - simplified parallel ASM thesis. CoRR abs/1504.06203 (2015). see http://arxiv.org/abs/1504.06203.

[12]

Ferrarotti, F., Schewe, K.-D., Tec, L., and Wang, Q. A new thesis concerning synchronised parallel computing - simplified parallel ASM thesis. Theoretical Computer Science 649 (2016), 25--53. extended version in {11}.

Digital Library

[13]

Ferrarotti, F., Tec, L., and Turull Torres, J. M. Towards an ASM thesis for reflective sequential algorithms. In Abstract State Machines, Alloy, B, TLA, VDM and Z (ABZ 2016) (2016), M. Butler et al., Eds., vol. 9675 of LNCS, Springer, pp. 239--244.

Digital Library

[14]

Grädel, E., and Gurevich, Y. Metafinite model theory. Information and Computation 140, 1 (1998), 26--81.

Digital Library

[15]

Gurevich, Y. Evolving algebras 1993: Lipari Guide. In Specification and Validation Methods. Oxford University Press, 1995, pp. 9--36.

Digital Library

[16]

Gurevich, Y. Sequential Abstract State Machines capture sequential algorithms. ACM Trans. Computational Logic 1, 1 (July 2000), 77--111.

Digital Library

[17]

Harel, D., Kozen, D., and Tiuryn, J. Dynamic Logic. MIT Press, 2000.

[18]

Hewitt, C. What is computation? Actor model versus Turing's model. In A Computable Universe: Understanding Computation and Exploring Nature as Computation, H. Zenil, Ed. World Scientific Publishing, 2012.

[19]

Hoare, C. A. R. Communicating Sequential Processes. Prentice-Hall, 1985.

Digital Library

[20]

Kröger, F., and Merz, S. Temporal Logic and State Systems. Texts in Theoretical Computer Science. An EATCS Series. Springer, 2008.

Digital Library

[21]

Lamport, L. How to make a multiprocessor computer that correctly executes multiprocess programs. IEEE Trans. Computers 28, 9 (1979), 690--691.

Digital Library

[22]

Lamport, L. Specifying Systems, The TLA⁺ Language and Tools for Hardware and Software Engineers. Addison-Wesley, 2002.

Digital Library

[23]

Lynch, N. Distributed Algorithms. Morgan Kaufmann, 1996. ISBN 978-1-55860-348-6.

Digital Library

[24]

Mazurkiewicz, A. Trace theory. vol. 255 of LNCS, Springer, pp. 279--324.

Digital Library

[25]

Mazurkiewicz, A. Introduction to trace theory. In The Book of Traces, V. Diekert and G. Rozenberg, Eds. World Scientific, Singapore, 1995, pp. 3--67.

[26]

Merz, S. On the logic of TLA⁺. Computers and Artificial Intelligence 22, 3--4 (2003), 351--379.

[27]

Milner, R. A Calculus of Communicating Systems. Springer, 1982. ISBN 0-387-10235-3.

Digital Library

[28]

Milner, R. Communicating and Mobile Systems: The Pi-Calculus. Springer, 1999. ISBN 9780521658690.

Digital Library

[29]

Peterson, J. Petri net theory and the modeling of systems. Prentice-Hall, 1981.

Digital Library

[30]

Petri, C. A. Kommunikation mit Automaten. PhD thesis, Institut für Instrumentelle Mathematik der Universität Bonn, 1962. Schriften des IIM Nr. 2.

[31]

Riccobene, E., and Scandurra, P. Towards asm-based formal specification of self-adaptive systems. In Abstract State Machines, Alloy, B, TLA, VDM, and Z - 4th International Conference (ABZ 2014) (2014), Y. A. Ameur and K.-D. Schewe, Eds., vol. 8477 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Springer, pp. 204--209.

Digital Library

[32]

Roscoe, A. The Theory and Practice of Concurrency. Prentice-Hall, 1997.

Digital Library

[33]

Schellhorn, G., Tofan, B., Ernst, G., Pfähler, J., and Reif, W. RGITL: A temporal logic framework for compositional reasoning about interleaved programs. Annals af Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence 71 (2014), 1--44.

Digital Library

[34]

Schewe, K.-D., Ferrarotti, F., Tec, L., and Wang, Q. Towards a behavioural theory for random parallel computing. In Computational Models of Rationality - Essays Dedicated to Gabriele Kern-Isberner on the Occasion of Her 60th Birthday, C. Beierle, G. Brewka, and M. Thimm, Eds., vol. 29 of Tributes. College Publications, 2016, pp. 365--373.

[35]

Schmalz, M. Formalizing the Logic of Event-B. PhD thesis, ETH Zürich, 2012.

[36]

Seebach, H., Nafz, F., Steghöfer, J.-P., and Reif, W. How to design and implement self-organising resource-flow systems. In Organic Computing - A Paradigm Shift for Complex Systems, C. Müller-Schloer, H. Schmeck, and T. Ungerer, Eds. Springer, 2011, pp. 145--161.

[37]

Stärk, R. F., and Nanchen, S. A logic for abstract state machines. Journal of Universal Computer Science 7, 11 (2001), 980--1005.

[38]

Steghöfer, J.-P. Large-Scale Open Self-Organising Systems: Managing Complexity with Hierarchies, Monitoring, Adaptation, and Principled Design. PhD thesis, University of Augsburg, 2014.

[39]

Steghöfer, J.-P., Seebach, H., Eberhardinger, B., Huebschmann, M., and Reif, W. Combining PosoMAS method content with Scrum: Agile software engineering for open self-organising systems. Scalable Computing: Practice and Experience 16, 4 (2015), 333--354.

[40]

The Petri nets bibliography, University of Hamburg. http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/TGI/pnbib/index.html.

[41]

Wang, Q. Logical Foundations of Database Transformations for Complex-Value Databases. Berlin, Germany: Logos-Verlag, 2010.

[42]

Wang, Q., Ferrarotti, F., Schewe, K.-D., and Tec, L. A complete logic for non-deterministic database transformations. CoRR abs/1602.07486 (2016). http://arxiv.org/abs/1602.07486.

[43]

Winskel, G., and Nielsen, M. Models for concurrency. In Handbook of Logic and the Foundations of Computer Science: Semantic Modelling, S. Abramsky, D. Gabbay, and T. S. E. Maibaum, Eds., vol. 4. Oxford University Press, 1995, pp. 1--148.

Digital Library

Cited By

Schewe KFerrarotti F(2022)Behavioural Theory of Reflective Algorithms I: Reflective Sequential AlgorithmsScience of Computer Programming10.1016/j.scico.2022.102864(102864)Online publication date: Sep-2022
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scico.2022.102864
Schewe KFerrarotti F(2020)A Logic for Reflective ASMsRigorous State-Based Methods10.1007/978-3-030-48077-6_7(93-106)Online publication date: 22-May-2020
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48077-6_7
Schewe KPrinz ABörger E(2019)Concurrent Computing with Shared Replicated MemoryModel and Data Engineering10.1007/978-3-030-32065-2_16(219-234)Online publication date: 21-Oct-2019
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32065-2_16
Show More Cited By

Evolving concurrent systems: behavioural theory and logic
1. Theory of computation
  1. Models of computation
    1. Concurrency

Recommendations

Testing concurrent systems: an interpretation of intuitionistic logic
FSTTCS '05: Proceedings of the 25th international conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science

We present a natural confluence of higher-order hereditary Harrop formulas (HH formulas), Constraint Logic Programming (CLP, [JL87]), and Concurrent Constraint Programming (CCP, [Sar93]) as a fragment of (intuitionistic, higher-order) logic. This ...
Transactions for concurrent object-oriented programming systems
OOPSLA/ECOOP '88: Proceedings of the 1988 ACM SIGPLAN workshop on Object-based concurrent programming
Concurrent object-oriented programming systems (COOPS) require support for fault tolerance, concurrency control, consistent commitment of changes and program-initiated rollback. It is sometimes suggested that the classical transaction processing model ...
Transactions for concurrent object-oriented programming systems
Proceedings of the ACM SIGPLAN Workshop on Object-Based Concurrent Programming
Concurrent object-oriented programming systems (COOPS) require support for fault tolerance, concurrency control, consistent commitment of changes and program-initiated rollback. It is sometimes suggested that the classical transaction processing model ...

Comments

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image ACM Other conferences

ACSW '17: Proceedings of the Australasian Computer Science Week Multiconference

January 2017

615 pages

ISBN:9781450347686

DOI:10.1145/3014812

Copyright © 2017 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than the author(s) must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected].

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 31 January 2017

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Request Permissions

Check for updates

Qualifiers

Research-article

Funding Sources

Austrian Science Fund

Conference

ACSW 2017

ACSW 2017: Australasian Computer Science Week 2017

January 30 - February 3, 2017

Geelong, Australia

Acceptance Rates

ACSW '17 Paper Acceptance Rate 78 of 156 submissions, 50%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 204 of 424 submissions, 48%

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

7
Total Citations
View Citations
118
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)7
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)1

Reflects downloads up to 24 Dec 2024

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

Schewe KFerrarotti F(2022)Behavioural Theory of Reflective Algorithms I: Reflective Sequential AlgorithmsScience of Computer Programming10.1016/j.scico.2022.102864(102864)Online publication date: Sep-2022
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scico.2022.102864
Schewe KFerrarotti F(2020)A Logic for Reflective ASMsRigorous State-Based Methods10.1007/978-3-030-48077-6_7(93-106)Online publication date: 22-May-2020
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48077-6_7
Schewe KPrinz ABörger E(2019)Concurrent Computing with Shared Replicated MemoryModel and Data Engineering10.1007/978-3-030-32065-2_16(219-234)Online publication date: 21-Oct-2019
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32065-2_16
Schewe KFerrarotti FTec LWang Q(2018)Distributed Adaptive SystemsAbstract State Machines, Alloy, B, TLA, VDM, and Z10.1007/978-3-319-91271-4_2(16-30)Online publication date: 8-May-2018
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91271-4_2
Börger E(2018)Why Programming Must Be Supported by Modeling and HowLeveraging Applications of Formal Methods, Verification and Validation. Modeling10.1007/978-3-030-03418-4_6(89-110)Online publication date: 29-Oct-2018
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03418-4_6
Geist VNatschläger CIllibauer CSchewe K(2018)Towards functional safety and security for adaptive and flexible business processesJournal of Software: Evolution and Process10.1002/smr.195230:5(e1952)Online publication date: 1-May-2018
https://doi.org/10.1002/smr.1952
Schewe K(2017)Concurrent Reflective Abstract State Machines2017 19th International Symposium on Symbolic and Numeric Algorithms for Scientific Computing (SYNASC)10.1109/SYNASC.2017.00015(30-35)Online publication date: Sep-2017
https://doi.org/10.1109/SYNASC.2017.00015

View Options

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Full Access

Get this Publication

View options

PDF

View or Download as a PDF file.

eReader

View online with eReader.

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

View Table of Contents