Simulation program development by stepwise refinement in UNITY

Abstract

UNITY is a computational model and proof system suitable for development of parallel (and distributed) programs through stepwise refinement of specifications. UNITY supports the development of correct programs and the efficient implementation of those programs on parallel computer architectures. The authors assess the potential of UNITY for simulation model specification of the machine interference problem with a patrolling repairman service discipline. The conclusions reached are that the UNITY proof system can assist formal verification of simulation models, and the UNITY mappings of programs to various computer architectures offer some potential for assisting the automatic implementation of simulation models on parallel architectures. The authors give some insights into the relationship of time flow mechanisms, parallel simulation protocols, and target parallel computer architectures. >