Abstract

This thesis investigates a particular approach, called state-transition specification, to the problem of describing the behavior of modules in a distributed or concurrent computer ,stem. A state-transition specification consists off (1) a state machine, which incorporates the safety or invariance properties of the module, and (2) validity conditions on the computations of the machine, which capture the desired liveness or eventuality properties. The theory and techniques of state. transition specification are developed from first principles to a point at which it is possible to write example specifications,'to check-the Specifications for coraiatency, and to perform correctlse examples.

Citations