History-preserving Bisimulation Research Articles

Event Identifier Logic

In this paper we introduce Event Identifier Logic (EIL), which extends Hennessy–Milner logic by the addition of:(1)reverse as well as forward modalities; and(2)identifiers to keep track of events.We show that this logic corresponds to hereditary history-preserving (HH) bisimulation equivalence within a particular true-concurrency model, namely, stable configuration structures. We also show how natural sublogics of EIL correspond to coarser equivalences. In particular, we provide logical characterisations of weak-history- preserving (WH) and history-preserving (H) bisimulation. Logics corresponding to HH and H bisimulation have been given previously, but none, as far as we are aware, corresponding to WH bisimulation (when autoconcurrency is allowed). We also present characteristic formulas that characterise individual structures with respect to history-preserving equivalences.

A hierarchy of reverse bisimulations on stable configuration structures

Van Glabbeek and Goltz (and later Fecher) have investigated the relationships between various equivalences on stable configuration structures, including interleaving bisimulation (IB), step bisimulation (SB), pomset bisimulation and hereditary history-preserving (H-H) bisimulation. Since H-H bisimulation may be characterised by the use of reverse as well as forward transitions, it is of interest to investigate these and other forms of bisimulations where both forward and reverse transitions are allowed. Bednarczyk asked whether SB with reverse steps is as strong as H-H bisimulation. We answer this question negatively. We give various characterisations of SB with reverse steps, showing that forward steps do not add power. We strengthen Bednarczyk's result that, in the absence of auto-concurrency, reverse IB is as strong as H-H bisimulation, by showing that we need only exclude auto-concurrent events at the same depth in the configuration.We consider several other forms of observations of reversible behaviour and define a wide range of bisimulations by mixing the forward and reverse observations. We investigate the power of these bisimulations and represent the relationships between them as a hierarchy with IB at the bottom and H-H at the top.

A Logic with Reverse Modalities for History-preserving Bisimulations

We introduce event identifier logic (EIL) which extends Hennessy-Milner logic by the addition of (1) reverse as well as forward modalities, and (2) identifiers to keep track of events. We show that this logic corresponds to hereditary history-preserving (HH) bisimulation equivalence within a particular true-concurrency model, namely stable configuration structures. We furthermore show how natural sublogics of EIL correspond to coarser equivalences. In particular we provide logical characterisations of weak history-preserving (WH) and history-preserving (H) bisimulation. Logics corresponding to HH and H bisimulation have been given previously, but not to WH bisimulation (when autoconcurrency is allowed), as far as we are aware. We also present characteristic formulas which characterise individual structures with respect to history-preserving equivalences.

Reverse Bisimulations on Stable Configuration Structures

The relationships between various equivalences on configuration structures, including interleaving bisimulation (IB), step bisimulation (SB) and hereditary history-preserving (HH) bisimulation, have been investigated by van Glabbeek and Goltz (and later Fecher). Since HH bisimulation may be characterised by the use of reverse as well as forward transitions, it is of interest to investigate forms of IB and SB where both forward and reverse transitions are allowed. We give various characterisations of reverse SB, showing that forward steps do not add extra power. We strengthen Bednarczyk's result that, in the absence of auto-concurrency, reverse IB is as strong as HH bisimulation, by showing that we need only exclude auto-concurrent events at the same depth in the configuration.

Reversibility and Models for Concurrency

There is a growing interest in models of reversible computation driven by exciting application areas such as bio-systems and quantum computing. Reversible process algebras RCCS [Danos, V. and J. Krivine, Reversible communicating systems, in: P. Gardner and N. Yoshida, editors, Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Concurrency Theory CONCUR 2004, LNCS 3170 (2004), pp. 292–307] and CCSK [Phillips, I.C.C. and I. Ulidowski, Reversing algebraic process calculi, in: Proceedings of 9th International Conference on Foundations of Software Science and Computation Structures, FOSSACS 2006, LNCS 3921 (2006), pp. 246–260. Extended version accepted by Journal of Logic and Algebraic Programming] were developed and general techniques for reversing other process operators were proposed. The paper shows that the notion of reversibility can bridge the gap between some interleaving models and non-interleaving models of concurrency, and makes them interchangeable. We prove that transition systems associated with reversible process algebras are equivalent as models to labelled prime event structures. Furthermore, we show that forward-reverse bisimulation corresponds to hereditary history-preserving bisimulation in the setting with no auto-concurrency and no auto-causation.

Presheaf models for CCS-like languages

The aim of this paper is to harness the mathematical machinery around presheaves for the purposes of process calculi. Joyal, Nielsen and Winskel proposed a general definition of bisimulation from open maps. Here we show that open-map bisimulations within a range of presheaf models are congruences for a general process language, in which CCS and related languages are easily encoded. The results are then transferred to traditional models for processes. By first establishing the congruence results for presheaf models, abstract, general proofs of congruence properties can be provided and the awkwardness caused through traditional models not always possessing the cartesian liftings, used in the breakdown of process operations, are side stepped. The abstract results are applied to show that hereditary history-preserving bisimulation is a congruence for CCS-like languages to which is added a refinement operator on event structures as proposed by van Glabbeek and Goltz.

Presheaf Models for CCS-like Languages

The aim of this paper is to harness the mathematical machinery around<br />presheaves for the purposes of process calculi. Joyal, Nielsen and Winskel<br />proposed a general definition of bisimulation from open maps. Here we show<br />that open-map bisimulations within a range of presheaf models are congruences<br /> for a general process language, in which CCS and related languages<br />are easily encoded. The results are then transferred to traditional models<br /> for processes. By first establishing the congruence results for presheaf<br />models, abstract, general proofs of congruence properties can be provided<br />and the awkwardness caused through traditional models not always possessing<br /> the cartesian liftings, used in the break-down of process operations,<br />are side-stepped. The abstract results are applied to show that hereditary<br />history-preserving bisimulation is a congruence for CCS-like languages to<br />which is added a refinement operator on event structures as proposed by<br />van Glabbeek and Goltz.

On Plain and Hereditary History-Preserving Bisimulation

We investigate the difference between two well-known notions of<br />independence bisimilarity, history-preserving bisimulation and hereditary<br />history-preserving bisimulation. We characterise the difference between<br />the two bisimulations in trace-theoretical terms, advocating the<br />view that the first is (just) a bisimulation for causality, while the second<br />is a bisimulation for concurrency. We explore the frontier zone between<br />the two notions by defining a hierarchy of bounded backtracking bisimulations. <br />Our goal is to provide a stepping stone for the solution to<br />the intriguing open problem of whether hereditary history-preserving<br />bisimulation is decidable or not. We prove that each of the bounded<br />bisimulations is decidable. However, we also prove that the hierarchy<br />is strict. This rules out the possibility that decidability of the general<br />problem follows directly from the special case. Finally, we give a non-<br />trivial reduction solving the general problem for a restricted class of<br />systems and give pointers towards a full answer.

Bisimulation from Open Maps

An abstract definition of bisimulation is presented. It makes possible a uniform definition of bisimulation across a range of different models for parallel computation presented as categories. As examples, transition systems, synchronisation trees, transition systems with independence (an abstraction from Petri nets), and labelled event structures are considered. On transition systems the abstract definition readily specialises to Milner's strong bisimulation. On event structures it explains and leads to a strengthening of the history-preserving bisimulation of Rabinovitch and Traktenbrot and van Glabeek and Goltz. A tie-up with open maps in a (pre)topos, as they appear in the work of Joyal and Moerdijk, brings to light a new model, presheaves on categories of pomsets, into which the usual category of labelled event structures embeds fully and faithfully. As an indication of its promise, this new presheaf model has “refinement” operators. The general approach yields a logic, generalising Hennessy–Milner logic, which is characteristic for the generalised notion of bisimulation.

Deciding true concurrency equivalences on safe, finite nets

We show that the pomset-trace equivalence problem for 1-safe, finite Petri nets is decidable; in fact it is complete for expspace. We also show that history-preserving bisimulation between such nets is complete for dexptime. Our methods also yield tight complexity bounds for several other “true concurrency” and interleaving equivalences. The results are independent of the presence of hidden transitions.

Bisimulation from Open Maps

An abstract definition of bisimulation is presented. It enables a uniform definition of bisimulation across a range of different models for parallel computation presented as categories. As examples, transition systems, synchronisation trees, transition systems with independence (an abstraction from Petri nets) and labelled event structures are considered. On transition systems the abstract definition readily specialises to Milner's strong bisimulation. On event structures it explains and leads to a revision of history-preserving bisimulation of Rabinovitch and Traktenbrot, Goltz and van Glabeek. A tie-up with open maps in a (pre)topos, as they appear in the work of Joyal and Moerdijk, brings to light a promising new model, presheaves on categories of pomsets, into which the usual category of labelled event structures embeds fully and faithfully. As an indication of its promise, this new presheaf model has ``refinement'' operators, though further work is required to justify their appropriateness and understand their relation to previous attempts. The general approach yields a logic, generalising Hennessy-Milner logic, which is characteristic for the generalised notion of bisimulation.

Bisimulation and action refinement

For event structures with silent moves, we consider several types of bisimulation that incorporate “true” concurrency to a varying degree, and show how each can be lifted in a uniform way to a congruence with respect to action refinement. We prove that we have constructed the coarsest congruences that respect interleaving, pomset and history-preserving bisimulation.