Verifying LTL for Infinite State Systems via Termination Analysis

2026-06-16

AI Summary

This work addresses the challenge of linear temporal logic (LTL) model checking for infinite-state systems by introducing the MoAT framework, which innovatively reduces LTL verification to a fair termination problem. By leveraging existing termination analysis tools—KoAT and LoAT—the approach enables efficient solving of the reduced problem. MoAT uniquely integrates automata-theoretic techniques with fair termination reductions, representing the first systematic application of termination analyzers to LTL model checking. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that MoAT achieves performance on par with state-of-the-art tools for LTL verification over infinite-state systems.

Abstract

We show that existing tools for termination analysis are extremely well suited for LTL model checking of infinite state systems. To this end, we present a framework MoAT which uses the well-known automata-based approach and reduces the LTL model checking problem to fair termination. To prove or disprove fair termination, it then calls the termination tools KoAT and LoAT in the backend. Our experiments show that in this way, MoAT is on par with existing state-of-the-art tools for LTL model checking of infinite state systems.

Problem

• LTL
• infinite state systems
• model checking
• fair termination

Innovation

• LTL model checking
• infinite state systems
• termination analysis
• fair termination
• automata-based approach