Kousha Etessami ; Marta Kwiatkowska ; Moshe Y. Vardi ; Mihalis Yannakakis - Multi-Objective Model Checking of Markov Decision Processes

lmcs:990 - Logical Methods in Computer Science, November 12, 2008, Volume 4, Issue 4 - https://doi.org/10.2168/LMCS-4(4:8)2008
Multi-Objective Model Checking of Markov Decision ProcessesArticle

Authors: Kousha Etessami ; Marta Kwiatkowska ; Moshe Y. Vardi ; Mihalis Yannakakis

    We study and provide efficient algorithms for multi-objective model checking problems for Markov Decision Processes (MDPs). Given an MDP, M, and given multiple linear-time (\omega -regular or LTL) properties \varphi\_i, and probabilities r\_i \epsilon [0,1], i=1,...,k, we ask whether there exists a strategy \sigma for the controller such that, for all i, the probability that a trajectory of M controlled by \sigma satisfies \varphi\_i is at least r\_i. We provide an algorithm that decides whether there exists such a strategy and if so produces it, and which runs in time polynomial in the size of the MDP. Such a strategy may require the use of both randomization and memory. We also consider more general multi-objective \omega -regular queries, which we motivate with an application to assume-guarantee compositional reasoning for probabilistic systems. Note that there can be trade-offs between different properties: satisfying property \varphi\_1 with high probability may necessitate satisfying \varphi\_2 with low probability. Viewing this as a multi-objective optimization problem, we want information about the "trade-off curve" or Pareto curve for maximizing the probabilities of different properties. We show that one can compute an approximate Pareto curve with respect to a set of \omega -regular properties in time polynomial in the size of the MDP. Our quantitative upper bounds use LP methods. We also study qualitative multi-objective model checking problems, and we show that these can be analysed by purely graph-theoretic methods, even though the strategies may still require both randomization and memory.


    Volume: Volume 4, Issue 4
    Published on: November 12, 2008
    Imported on: October 4, 2007
    Keywords: Computer Science - Logic in Computer Science,Computer Science - Computational Complexity,Computer Science - Computer Science and Game Theory,G.3,F.2,F.3.1,F.4.1
    Funding:
      Source : OpenAIRE Graph
    • MRI: Acquisition of CITI Terascale Cluster (CTC); Funder: National Science Foundation; Code: 0216467
    • Developing Linear-time Model-checking Technology; Funder: National Science Foundation; Code: 9988322
    • Research in Games, Fixpoints, and Approximation; Funder: National Science Foundation; Code: 0728736
    • Automata-Theoretic Approach to Design Verification; Funder: National Science Foundation; Code: 0311326

    65 Documents citing this article

    Consultation statistics

    This page has been seen 2048 times.
    This article's PDF has been downloaded 674 times.