The need for usable formal methods in verification and validation

Abstract

The process of developing, verifying and validating models and simulations should be straightforward. Unfortunately, following conventional development approaches can render a model design that appeared complete and robust into an incomplete, incoherent and invalid simulation during implementation. An alternative approach is for subject matter experts (SMEs) to employ formal methods to describe their models. However, formal methods are rarely used in practice due to their intimidating syntax and semantics rooted in mathematics. In this paper we argue for a new approach to verification and validation that leverages two techniques from computer science: (1) model checking and (2) automated debugging. The proposed vision offers an initial path to replace conventional simulation verification and validation methods with new automated analyses that eventually will be able to yield feedback to SMEs in a familiar language.