Hierarchical Design Method for Multi-Agent Systems

This paper proposes a new hierarchical design method for the specification and the verification of multi agent systems (MAS). For this purpose, the authors propose the model of Refinable Recursive Petri Nets (RRPN) under a maximality semantics. In this model, a notion of undefined transitions is considered. The underlying semantics model is the Abstract Maximality-based Labeled Transition System (AMLTS). Hence, the model supports a definition of a hierarchical design methodology. The example of goods transportation is used for illustrating the approach. For the system assessment, the properties are expressed in CTL logic and verified using the verification environment FOCOVE (Formal Concurrency Verification Environment).