Simulating and model checking membrane systems using strategies in Maude

TL;DR

The paper tackles the challenge of simulating and verifying membrane systems (P systems) by encoding them as Maude rewrite theories governed by rewriting strategies. It introduces a strategy-based framework and interactive environment that automatically generates strategy-controlled executions and supports model checking with $LTL$, $CTL^*$, and $\mu$-calculus$ properties via an extensible interface. The approach leverages Maude's reflection and external objects to translate membrane specifications into executable theories and to couple simulation with formal verification, including variants like division and promoters/inhibitors. The reported performance improvements over prior Maude-based prototypes and the framework's extensibility suggest practical, verifiable membrane computations suitable for research and education.

Abstract

Membrane systems are a biologically-inspired computational model based on the structure of biological cells and the way chemicals interact and traverse their membranes. Although their dynamics are described by rules, encoding membrane systems into rewriting logic is not straightforward due to its complex control mechanisms. Multiple alternatives have been proposed in the literature and implemented in the Maude specification language. The recent release of the Maude strategy language and its associated strategy-aware model checker allow specifying these systems more easily, so that they become executable and verifiable for free. An easily-extensible interactive environment transforms membrane specifications into rewrite theories controlled by appropriate strategies, and allows simulating and verifying membrane computations by means of them.

Figures (1)

• Figure 1: Venn diagram of a divisor-calculator membrane system.