Causality checking for complex system models

Abstract

We present an approach for the algorithmic computation of causalities in system models that we refer to as causality checking. We base our notion of causality on counterfactual reasoning, in particular using the structural equation model approach by Halpern and Pearl that we recently have extended to reason about computational models. In this paper we present a search-based on-the-fly approach that nicely integrates into finite state verification techniques, such as explicit-state model checking. We demonstrate the applicability of our approach using an industrial case study.