Validation and Verification of Decision Making Rules

Abstract

A methodology for the validation and verification (V&V) of decision making rules is proposed. The methodology addresses the general problem of detecting problematic cases in a set of rules. The rules are expressed as statements in formal logic. The definition of decision rules in formal logic makes the problem general in terms of application domains, and also provides an analytical base for defining errors. The approach is based on viewing a rule base as an organization of information that flows from one process (rule) to another. Since Petri Nets provide a powerful modeling and analysis tool for information flow structures, the methodology transforms a set of decision rules into an equivalent Petri Net representation. The static and dynamic properties of the graph are shown to reveal patterns of Petri Net structures that correspond to the problematic cases. The tools and techniques presented in this paper are based on theory and are supported by software tools.