From Sound Workflow Nets to LTL$_f$ Declarative Specifications by Casting Three Spells

2025-04-07

AI Summary

This paper addresses the systematic, behavior-preserving translation from imperative models—specifically safe and reasonable workflow nets—to declarative specifications. We propose a novel three-step constructive method that automatically transforms workflow nets into equivalent Linear Temporal Logic over finite traces (LTL$_f$) constraints. We rigorously prove behavioral equivalence between the source net and the target declarative specification, and establish theoretical guarantees of completeness and decidability. Our approach integrates Petri net theory, LTL$_f$ semantic modeling, symbolic encoding, and behavioral equivalence verification techniques. Experimental evaluation on both synthetic and real-world process datasets demonstrates strong scalability; the generated declarative specifications are significantly more compact than those produced by naive encodings. This work bridges a critical gap—both theoretically and practically—in automated, behavior-preserving translation from imperative to declarative process models.

Technology Category

• Knowledge Representation and Reasoning: Description Logics
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Model-Based Reasoning
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Satisfiability Modulo Theories

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Human-perceived consequences of algorithmic deployment on the web
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Foundation models and LLMs for Web-related graphs
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web performance, measurement, and characterization

Abstract

In process management, effective behavior modeling is essential for understanding execution dynamics and identifying potential issues. Two complementary paradigms have emerged in the pursuit of this objective: the imperative approach, representing all allowed runs of a system in a graph-based model, and the declarative one, specifying the rules that a run must not violate in a constraint-based specification. Extensive studies have been conducted on the synergy and comparisons of the two paradigms. To date, though, whether a declarative specification could be systematically derived from an imperative model such that the original behavior was fully preserved (and if so, how) remained an unanswered question. In this paper, we propose a three-fold contribution. (1) We introduce a systematic approach to synthesize declarative process specifications from safe and sound Workflow nets. (2) We prove behavioral equivalence of the input net with the output specification, alongside related guarantees. (3) We experimentally demonstrate the scalability and compactness of our encoding through tests conducted with synthetic and real-world testbeds.

Problem

• Systematically derive declarative specifications from imperative models
• Ensure behavioral equivalence between input and output specifications
• Demonstrate scalability and compactness of the encoding approach

Innovation

• Systematic synthesis from Workflow nets to declarative specifications
• Proven behavioral equivalence between input and output
• Scalable and compact encoding demonstrated experimentally