Towards A Shape Analysis for Graph Transformation Systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces a shape analysis-based verification method for infinite-state graph transformation systems, enabling formal analysis and model checking through abstraction and summarization of graph nodes.

Contribution

It adapts shape analysis techniques to graph transformation systems, providing a novel approach for verifying infinite-state models with implementation in a logical framework.

Findings

Successfully applied to railway domain example

Enables abstraction of infinite graphs into shape graphs

Supports formal verification of complex graph systems

Abstract

Graphs and graph transformation systems are a frequently used modelling technique for a wide range of different domains, cover- ing areas as diverse as refactorings, network topologies or reconfigurable software. Being a formal method, graph transformation systems lend themselves to a formal analysis. This has inspired the development of various verification methods, in particular also model checking tools. In this paper, we present a verification technique for infinite-state graph transformation systems. The technique employs the abstraction principle used in shape analysis of programs, summarising possibly infinitely many nodes thus giving shape graphs. The technique has been implemented using the 3-valued logical foundations of standard shape analysis. We exemplify the approach on an example from the railway domain.