The goal of this course is to acquaint the students with fundamentals of automatic verification (of computer systems, in particular software) and to prepare them for conducting research in the area.

• 06/02: HW#4 due on 06/09.
• 06/02: slides for Abstraction and Compositional Reasoning available.
• 05/19: slides for Symbolic Model Checkers and the Spin Model Checker available.
• 05/19: HW#3 due on 05/26.
• 05/14: slides for Binary Decision Diagrams revised (changes only made on the Reduction example).
• 05/14: slides for Symbolic Model Checking and for Model Checking Mu-Calculus available.
• 05/12: slides for Automata-Theoretic Approach available (slightly improved over the version distributed in class).
• 05/12: HW#2 was due.
• 04/14: slides for Binary Decision Diagrams available.
• 03/25: HW#1 due on 04/14.
• 03/17: slides for Temporal Logic Model Checking and Ordered Sets and Fixpoints available.
• 02/24: slides for Introduction and Systems Modeling available.

Yih-Kuen Tsay (蔡益坤), NTU IM Dept., 3366-1189, http://im.ntu.edu.tw/~tsay/, Xtsay@im.ntu.edu.twX (between the enclosing pair of X's)

Thursday 2:20PM-5:20PM, Room 204, Management II (when the class is small enough, we meet in the seminar room on the 11th floor)

Wednesday 1:30–2:30PM or by appointment, Room 1108, Management II

Ming-Hsien Tsai (蔡明憲), 3366-1205, Xmhtsai208@gmail.comX (between the enclosing pair of X's).

1. Model Checking, E.M. Clarke, O. Grumberg, and D.A. Peled, The MIT Press, 1999. [CGP]
2. Principles of Model Checking, C. Baier and J.-P. Katoen, The MIT Press, 2008. [BK]
3. The SPIN Model Checker: Primer and Reference Manual, G.J. Holzmann, Addison-Wesley, 2003. [H]
4. Temporal Verification of Reactive Systems: Safety, Z. Manna and A. Pnueli, Springer, 1995. [MP]
5. Selected Papers. [SP]
6. Class Notes. [CN]

This course provides an introduction to the foundations, methods, and tools for automatic verification. The focus is on algorithmic (including model checking) methods. A separate complementary course entitled “Software Specification and Verification” covers deductive methods. We shall seek a balance between breadth and depth, covering both the foundations and some of the more successful methods and tools. Below is a tentative list of topics and their schedule:

• Introduction [CGP: Ch. 1; BK: Ch. 1; H: Ch. 1] (.5 week: 2/24a) [slides]
• Systems Modeling [CGP: Ch. 2; BK: Ch. 2,3; H: Ch. 2; MP: Ch. 0.1-4] (.5 week: 2/24b) [slides]
• Temporal Logic Model Checking [CGP: Ch. 3,4; BK: Ch. 6; MP: Ch. 5.2-3] (2 weeks: 3/3, 3/5) [slides]
• Ordered Sets and Fixpoints [CN] (1.5 weeks: 3/10, 3/17a) [slides]
• Binary Decision Diagrams [CGP: Ch. 5; SP] (1.5 weeks: 3/17b, 3/24) [slides]
• Symbolic Model Checking [CGP: Ch. 6] (2 weeks: 4/9, 4/14) [slides]
• Model Checking μ-Calculus [CGP: Ch. 7] (1 week: 4/21) [slides]
• Symbolic Model Checkers [CGP: Ch. 8; SP; CN] (1 week: 4/28) [slides]
• Automata-Theoretic Approach [CGP: Ch. 9; BK: Ch. 4.3,4.4,5; H: Ch. 6; MP: Ch. 5.1] (1 week: 5/5) [slides]
• The Spin Model Checker [H: Ch. 3, 4, 7, 12] (1 week: 5/12) [slides]
• Equivalences and Abstraction [CGP: Ch. 11,13; BK: Ch. 7; SP] (1 week: 5/19) [slides]
• Compositional Reasoning [CGP: Ch. 12; SP; CN] (1 week: 5/26) [slides]
• Satisfiability Solving and Tools [SP; CN] (1 week: 6/2) [slides]
• Bounded Model Checking [SP] (1 week: 6/9) [slides]
• Final (2011/06/16)
• Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT), Solvers, and Applications [SP; CN] (1 week: 6/23) [slides]

Homework Assignments 20%, Participation 10%, Final Exam 40%, Term Paper/Report 30%.