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Efficient Synthesis of Barrier Certificates for Safety Verification of Unbounded Cyber-Physical Systems


Core Concepts
This paper presents novel techniques to efficiently synthesize barrier certificates for safety verification of cyber-physical systems defined over unbounded domains, which overcomes the limitations of existing approaches.
Abstract

The paper addresses the problem of synthesizing barrier certificates, which serve as differential invariants to witness system safety, for cyber-physical systems (CPS) defined over unbounded domains. Existing computational methods for barrier certificate synthesis are based on semidefinite programming (SDP) and rely on Putinar's Positivstellensatz, which is only applicable to bounded domains.

The authors first clarify the connection between the sound and complete sum-of-squares characterization of polynomial barrier certificates over bounded domains. They then propose two novel approaches to handle unbounded domains:

  1. Polynomial Barrier Certificates:

    • The authors utilize the homogenization technique to derive the first complete sum-of-squares characterization of polynomial barrier certificates over unbounded domains.
    • This approach can synthesize more expressive barrier certificates compared to the existing incomplete characterization, while maintaining comparable efficiency.
  2. Semialgebraic Barrier Certificates:

    • The authors introduce the notion of homogenized systems and consider a family of non-polynomial barrier certificates with more expressive power.
    • They provide a complete sum-of-squares characterization for this class of semialgebraic barrier certificates.

Experimental results on a set of benchmark systems demonstrate that the two complete characterizations are more effective at synthesizing barrier certificates over unbounded domains, compared to the existing incomplete approach.

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Deeper Inquiries

How can the efficiency of the semialgebraic barrier certificate synthesis be further improved, especially for larger systems and higher-degree templates?

To improve the efficiency of semialgebraic barrier certificate synthesis, especially for larger systems and higher-degree templates, several strategies can be employed: Exploiting Algebraic Structures: By leveraging the inherent algebraic structures present in the constraints, one can potentially simplify the formulation of the problem. Identifying patterns or symmetries in the constraints can lead to more efficient solutions. Optimizing SDP Solvers: Fine-tuning the parameters of the SDP solvers can significantly impact the efficiency of the synthesis process. Adjusting the solver settings, such as tolerances and convergence criteria, can lead to faster and more accurate results. Parallelization: Implementing parallel computing techniques can distribute the computational load across multiple processors or cores, speeding up the synthesis process for larger systems. This can be particularly beneficial for handling complex systems with high computational demands. Reducing Search Space: Implementing intelligent search strategies to narrow down the space of possible solutions can improve efficiency. Techniques such as constraint propagation, variable elimination, or domain-specific optimizations can help focus the search on the most promising areas. Utilizing Problem-specific Heuristics: Developing problem-specific heuristics based on domain knowledge can guide the synthesis process towards more efficient solutions. These heuristics can help in pruning the search space and accelerating the convergence of the optimization algorithm.

Can the proposed techniques be extended to handle other types of systems beyond autonomous differential dynamical systems, such as hybrid systems or systems with control inputs?

Yes, the proposed techniques can be extended to handle a wide range of systems beyond autonomous differential dynamical systems. Here are some ways in which the techniques can be adapted for different types of systems: Hybrid Systems: For hybrid systems that combine continuous dynamics with discrete transitions, the barrier certificate synthesis techniques can be modified to account for the hybrid nature of the system. By incorporating logic for discrete mode transitions and continuous dynamics, barrier certificates can be synthesized to ensure safety in hybrid systems. Systems with Control Inputs: Systems with control inputs can benefit from barrier certificates to guarantee safety in the presence of external control actions. By incorporating the control inputs into the dynamics of the system and formulating the barrier certificate conditions accordingly, the techniques can be extended to handle systems with control inputs. Stochastic Systems: Barrier certificates can also be applied to stochastic systems to ensure safety under probabilistic uncertainties. By considering the stochastic nature of the dynamics and incorporating probabilistic constraints into the barrier certificate synthesis, safety guarantees can be established for stochastic systems.

What are the potential applications of the synthesized barrier certificates beyond safety verification, e.g., in controller synthesis or program analysis?

The synthesized barrier certificates have various applications beyond safety verification, including: Controller Synthesis: Barrier certificates can be utilized in controller synthesis to design controllers that ensure system safety and stability. By incorporating the barrier certificate conditions into the controller design process, robust and safe controllers can be synthesized for complex systems. Program Analysis: In the field of program analysis, barrier certificates can be used to verify the correctness and safety of software programs. By translating program properties into barrier certificate conditions, program analysis tools can automatically verify the absence of errors or violations in the program behavior. Optimization: Barrier certificates can also be applied in optimization problems to ensure feasibility and safety constraints are satisfied during the optimization process. By incorporating barrier certificates as constraints in optimization problems, optimal solutions can be found while guaranteeing system safety. Fault Detection and Diagnosis: Barrier certificates can aid in fault detection and diagnosis by providing a formal framework to detect and isolate faults in dynamic systems. By monitoring the violation of barrier certificate conditions, potential faults can be identified and diagnosed in real-time. Overall, barrier certificates have versatile applications in various domains beyond safety verification, offering a formal and rigorous approach to ensure system correctness and stability.
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