A hybrid automaton is a formal model for a mixed discrete-continuous system. We classify hybrid automata acoording to what questions about their behavior can be answered algorithmically. The classification reveals structure on mixed discrete-continuous state spaces that was previously studied on purely discrete state spaces only. In particular, various classes of hybrid automata induce finitary trace equivalence (or similarity, or bisimilarity) relations on an uncountable state space, thus permitting the application of various model-checking techniques that were originally developed for finite-state systems.

We develop a new schema for unstructured data. Traditional schemas resemble the type systems of programming languages. For unstructured data, however, the underlying type may be much less constrained and hence an alternative way of expressing constraints on the data is needed. Here, we propose that both data and schema be represented as edge-labeled graphs. We develop notions of conformance between a graph database and a graph schema and show that there is a natural and e ciently computable ordering on graph schemas. We then examine certain subclasses of schemas and show that schemas are closed under query applications. Finally, we discuss how they may be used in query decomposition and optimization. 1

Abstract. Alternating transition systems are a general model for composite systems which allow the study of collaborative as well as adversarial relationships between individual system components. Unlike in labeled transition systems, where each transition corresponds to a possible step of the system (which may involve some or all components), in alternating transition systems, each transition corresponds to a possible move in a game between the components. In this paper, we study refinement relations between alternating transition systems, such as “Does the implementation refine the set £ of specification components without constraining the components not in £? ” In particular, we generalize the definitions of the simulation and trace containment preorders from labeled transition systems to alternating transition systems. The generalizations are called alternating simulation and alternating trace containment. Unlike existing refinement relations, they allow the refinement of individual components within the context of a composite system description. We show that, like ordinary simulation, alternating simulation can be checked in polynomial time using a fixpoint computation algorithm. While ordinary trace containment is PSPACE-complete, we establish alternating trace containment to be EXPTIME-complete. Finally, we present logical characterizations for the two preorders in terms of ATL, a temporal logic capable of referring to games between system components. 1

U.C. San Diego

We describe a family of optimizations implemented in a translation from a linear temporal logic to Büchi automata. Such optimized automata can enhance the efficiency of explicit state model checking, as practiced in tools such as SPIN. Some of our optimizations are applicable to...

In order to study control problems for hybrid systems, we generalize hybrid automata to hybrid games -- say, controller vs. plant. If we specify the continuous dynamics by constant lower and upper bounds, we obtain rectangular games. We show that for rectangular games with objectives expressed in Ltl (linear temporal logic), the winning states for each player can be computed, and winning strategies can be synthesized. Our result is sharp, as already reachability is undecidable for generalizations of rectangular systems, and optimal -- singly exponential in the size of the game structure and doubly exponential in the size of the Ltl objective. Our proof systematically generalizes the theory of hybrid systems from automata (single-player structures) [9] to games (multi-player structures): we show that the successively more general infinite-state classes of timed, 2d rectangular, and rectangular games induce successively weaker, but still finite, quotient structures called game bisimilarity, game similarity, and game trace equivalence. These quotients can be used, in particular, to solve the Ltl control problem.

Abstract. Web site semantic content veri cation can be a tedious and error prone task. In this paper we propose a framework for syntactic validation and semantic veri cation based on the logic programming language XCentric. The high declarative model of this language based on a new uni cation algorithm along with an interface to semistructured data provides an elegant framework for semantic error detection. The result is an easy to follow model to improve website quality and management. 1