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Symmetry reductions for model checking of concurrent dynamic software

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Abstract

Symmetry reduction techniques exploit symmetries that occur during the execution of a system in order to minimize its state space for efficient verification of temporal logic properties. This paper presents a framework for concisely defining and evaluating symmetry reductions currently used in software model checking, involving heap objects and processes. An on-the-fly state space exploration algorithm combining both techniques will also be presented. Second, the relation between symmetry and partial-order reductions is investigated, showing how one’s strengths can be used to compensate for the other’s weaknesses. The symmetry reductions presented here were implemented in the dSPIN model-checking tool. We also performed a number of experiments that show significant progress in reducing the cost of finite-state software verification.

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Correspondence to Radu Iosif.

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Iosif, R. Symmetry reductions for model checking of concurrent dynamic software. Int J Softw Tools Technol Transfer 6, 302–319 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10009-004-0154-9

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