Distributed systems specification and verifi-

cation with process algebra

• Process algebra theories:

– CCS (Milner, 1989 [4])
– CSP (Hoare, 1985 [3])
– ACP (Bergstra & Klop, 1984 [2]; Baeten & Weijland, 1990 [1])
– π-calculus (Milner, 1999 [5])
• Aplications include:
– Communication protocols
– Mobile and communicating systems
– Semantics of (concurrent and distributed) languages
Algebra of Communicationg Processes (ACP)
(Bergstra & Klop, 1984)
• Signature of ACP:
– (a, b, ... ∈)A = a set of atomic actions
– γ : A −→ A = a (partial) communication function (γ is associative & commutative)
– δ (δ ∈/ A) = a constant symbol which denotes deadlock;
– binary operator symbols:
+ (non-deterministic choice)
· (sequential composition)
k (merge, or parallel composition)
bb , | (left merge, communication merge)
(precedence: · binds stronger than k, bb , |; k, bb , | bind stronger than +)
– a unary operator:
∂H (encapsulation: ∂H (x) denotes the process x in an environment
where the actions in H cannot be executed, where H ⊆ A)
• The axioms of ACP:
x, y, z, ... are process variables.

A1 x+y =y+x
A2 (x + y) + z = x + (y + z)
A3 x+x=x
A4 (x + y) · z = x · z + y · z
A5 (x · y) · z = x · (y · z)
A6 x+δ =x
A7 δx = δ

CF1 a|b = γ(a, b) if γ(a, b) is defined

CF2 a|b = δ otherwise

CM1 x k y = xbb y + ybb x + x|y

CM2 abb x = a · x
CM3 (a · x)bb y = a · (x k y)
CM4 (x + y)bb z = xbb z + ybb z
CM5 (a · x)|b = (a|b) · x
CM6 a|(b · x) = (a|b) · x
CM7 (a · x)|(b · y) = (a|b) · (x k y)
CM8 (x + y)|z = x|z + y|z
CM9 x|(y + z) = x|y + x|z

D1 ∂H (a) = a if a ∈
/H
D2 ∂H (a) = δ if a ∈ H
D3 ∂H (x + y) = ∂H (x) + ∂H (y)
D4 ∂H (x · y) = ∂H (x) · ∂H (y)
Bibliography

[1] J.C. Baeten and W.P. Weijland. Process algebra, Cambridge University Press, 1990.

[2] J.A. Bergstra, J.W. Klop. Process algebra for synchronous communication. Inf. and
Control, pages 109-137, 1984.

[3] C.A.R. Hoare. Communicating Sequential Processes, Prentice Hall, 1985.

[4] R. Milner. Communication and Concurrency, Prentice-Hall, 1989.

[5] R. Milner. Communicating and Mobile Systems: the π calculus, Cambridge University
Press, 1999.