Efficient Algorithms for Checking Fast Termination in VASS

TL;DR

This paper introduces a polynomial-time, sound, and complete method for determining linear asymptotic bounds on termination time in VASS, classifies VASS based on cycle vector normals, and identifies singularities as key to complex bounds.

Contribution

It provides the first polynomial-time algorithm for linear asymptotic bounds in VASS and classifies VASS complexity based on cycle normal singularities.

Findings

Polynomial-time algorithm for linear bounds in VASS

Singularities in cycle normals lead to exponential bounds

Absence of singularities guarantees polynomial bounds of form Θ(n^k)

Abstract

Vector Addition Systems with States (VASS) consists of a finite state space equipped with d counters, where in each transition every counter is incremented, decremented, or left unchanged. VASS provide a fundamental model for analysis of concurrent processes, parametrized systems, and they are also used as abstract models for programs for bounds analysis. While termination is the basic liveness property that asks the qualitative question of whether a given model always terminates or not, the more general quantitative question asks for bounds on the number of steps to termination. In the realm of quantitative bounds a fundamental problem is to obtain asymptotic bounds on termination time. Large asymptotic bounds such as exponential or higher already suggest that either there is some error in modeling, or the model is not useful in practice. Hence we focus on polynomial asymptotic bounds for VASS. While some well-known approaches (e.g., lexicographic ranking functions) are neither sound nor complete with respect to polynomial bounds, other approaches only present sound methods for upper bounds. In this work our main contributions are as follows: First, for linear asymptotic bounds we present a sound and complete method for VASS, and moreover, our algorithm runs in polynomial time. Second, we classify VASS according the normals of the vectors of the cycles. We show that singularities in the normal are the key reason for asymptotic bounds such as exponential and non-elementary for VASS. In absence of singularities, we show that the asymptotic complexity bound is always polynomial and of the form ${\Theta}(n^k)$, for some k $\leq$ d. We present an algorithm, with time complexity polynomial in the size of the VASS and exponential in dimension d, to compute the optimal k.