Goal-constrained Planning Domain Model Verification of Safety Properties

TL;DR

This paper addresses the challenge of verifying planning domain models by proposing a method to avoid false positives through goal-constrained verification, ensuring only valid counterexamples are considered.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of valid planning counterexamples and demonstrates how to incorporate goal constraints into model checking for accurate verification.

Findings

Unconstrained model checking can produce false counterexamples.

Goal-constrained verification improves the accuracy of domain model validation.

The approach reduces false positives in planning domain verification.

Abstract

The verification of planning domain models is crucial to ensure the safety, integrity and correctness of planning-based automated systems. This task is usually performed using model checking techniques. However, unconstrained application of model checkers to verify planning domain models can result in false positives, i.e.counterexamples that are unreachable by a sound planner when using the domain under verification during a planning task. In this paper, we discuss the downside of unconstrained planning domain model verification. We then introduce the notion of a valid planning counterexample, and demonstrate how model checkers, as well as state trajectory constraints planning techniques, should be used to verify planning domain models so that invalid planning counterexamples are not returned.