Deductive Model Checking

We present an extension of classical tableau-based model checking procedures to the case of innnite-state systems, using deductive methods in an incremental construction of the behavior graph. Logical formulas are used to represent innnite sets of states in an abstraction of this graph, which is repeatedly reened in the search for a counterexample computation, ruling out large portions of the graph before they are expanded to the state-level. This can lead to large savings, even in the case of nite-state systems. Only local conditions need to be checked at each step, and previously proven properties can be used to further constrain the search. Although the resulting method is not always automatic, it provides a exible and general framework that can be used to integrate a diverse number of other veriication tools.