Temporal logic comes in two varieties: linear-time temporal logic assumes implicit universal quantification over all paths that are generated by system moves; branching-time temporal logic allows explicit existential and universal quantification over all paths. We introduce a third, more general variety of temporal logic: alternating-time temporal logic offers selective quantification over those paths that are possible outcomes of games, such as the game in which the system and the environment alternate moves. While linear-time and branching-time logics are natural specification languages for closed systems, alternating-time logics are natural specification languages for open systems. For example, by preceding the temporal operator "eventually" with a selective path quantifier, we can specify that in the game between the system and the environment, the system has a strategy to reach a certain state. Also the problems of receptiveness, realizability, and controllability can be formulated as model-checking problems for alternating-time formulas.

We consider decentralized control of Markov decision processes and give complexity bounds on the worst-case running time for algorithms that find optimal solutions. Generalizations of both the fullyobservable case and the partially-observable case that allow for decentralized control are described. For even two agents, the finite-horizon problems corresponding to both of these models are hard for nondeterministic exponential time. These complexity results illustrate a fundamental difference between centralized and decentralized control of Markov decision processes. In contrast to the problems involving centralized control, the problems we consider provably do not admit polynomial-time algorithms. Furthermore, assuming EXP NEXP, the problems require super-exponential time to solve in the worst case.

This is the nineteenth edition of a (usually) quarterly column that covers new developments in the theory of NP-completeness. The presentation is modeled on that used by M. R. Garey and myself in our book ‘‘Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness,’ ’ W. H. Freeman & Co., New York, 1979 (hereinafter referred to as ‘‘[G&J]’’; previous columns will be referred to by their dates). A background equivalent to that provided by [G&J] is assumed, and, when appropriate, cross-references will be given to that book and the list of problems (NP-complete and harder) presented there. Readers who have results they would like mentioned (NP-hardness, PSPACE-hardness, polynomial-time-solvability, etc.) or open problems they would like publicized, should

Some of the most exciting developments in complexity theory in recent years concern the complexity of interactive proof systems, defined by Goldwasser, Micali and Rackoff (1985) and independently by Babai (1985). In this paper, we survey results on the complexity of space bounded interactive proof systems

In system synthesis, we transform a specication into a system that is guaranteed to satisfy the speci- cation. When the system is distributed, the goal is to construct the system's underlying processes. Results on multi-player games imply that the synthesis problem for linear specications is undecidable for general architectures, and is nonelementary decidable for hierarchical architectures, where the processes are linearly ordered and information among them ows in one direction. In this paper we present a signicant extension of this result. We handle both linear and branching specications, and we show that a sucient condition for decidability of the synthesis problem is a linear or cyclic order among the processes, in which information ows in either one or both directions. We also allow the processes to have internal hidden variables, and we consider communications with and without delay. Many practical applications fall into this class. 1 Introduction In system synthesis, we...

Logics of knowledge have been shown to provide a useful approach to the high level specification and analysis of distributed systems. It has been proposed that such systems can be developed using knowledge-based protocols, in which agents' actions have preconditions that test their state of knowledge. Both computer-assisted analysis of the knowledge properties of systems and automated compilation of knowledge-based protocols require the development of algorithms for the computation of states of knowledge. This paper studies one of the computational problems of interest, the model checking problem for knowledge formulae in the S5 n Kripke structures generated by finite state environments in which states determine an observation for each agent. Agents are assumed to have perfect recall, and may operate synchronously or asynchronously. It is shown that, in this setting, model checking of common knowledge formulae is intractable, but efficient incremental algorithms are developed for formu...

Abstract. We study the problem of synthesizing controllers in a natural distributed asynchronous setting: a finite set of plants interact with their local environments and communicate with each other by synchronizing on common actions. The controller-synthesis problem is to come up with a local strategy for each plant such that the controlled behaviour of the network meets a specification. We consider linear time specifications and provide, in some sense, a minimal set of restrictions under which this problem is effectively solvable: we show that the controller-synthesis problem under these restrictions is decidable while the problem becomes undecidable if any one or more of these three restrictions are dropped. 1

We consider the problem of synthesizing distributed controllers for reactive systems against local specifications. We show that a larger class of architectures become decidable in comparison to the analogous problem for global specifications. We identify the exact class of architectures for which the problem is decidable. Our results also show the decidability of a related realizability problem for local specifications.

This is a true fable about Merlin, the infinitely intelligent but never trusted magician; and Arthur, the reasonable but impatient sovereign with an occasional unorthodox request; about the concept of an efficient proof; about polynomials and interpolation, electronic mail, coin flip-ping, and the incredible power of interaction. About MIP, IP, #Pp PSPACE, NEXPTIME, and new techniques that do not relativize. About fast progress, fierce competition, and e-mail ethics.

Abstract not found