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Notes on the new approximate/statistical model checking support in PRISM
Previously, PRISM only supported a single kind of approximate/statistical model checking, namely checking of quantitative (e.g. P=?[...]) properties using the APMC method. Now, it offers four methods in total:
* CI (Confidence Interval)
* ACI (Asymptotic Confidence Interval)
* APMC (Approximate Probabilistic Model Checking)
* SPRT (Sequential Probability Ratio Test)
and these can also be applied to bounded (e.g. P<p[...]) properties. SPRT is only applicable to bounded properties. The default method used is CI (for quantitative properties) and SPRT for bounded properties.
Precise details of these methods can be found in the MSc thesis of Vincent Nimal:
http://www.prismmodelchecker.org/bibitem.php?key=Nim10
who worked on the code for this extension of PRISM.
A brief guide to enabling the various new options from the command-line is as follows.
(See also prism -help for a quick list.)
* Switch -sim means that any model checking is done using approximate/statistical methods.
* Switch -simmethod <name> selects the method to use: one of apmc, ci, aci, sprt.
The default is ci (Confidence Interval).
* These methods share several parameters, configurable as follows:
- simsamples <n> - sets the number of sample paths generated for CI/ACI/APMC
- simconf <x> - sets the confidence (a probability) for CI/ACI/APMC
- simwidth <x> - sets the (half)-width of the confidence interval for CI/ACI
- simapprox <x> - sets the approximation size for APMC
Each of CI/ACI/APMC has three parameters which are related so you can set at most two.
For APMC, the third parameter can be computed immediately; for CI/ACI, this is done after simulation.
SPRT has three parameters: the acceptable probability of Type I and II errors,
and the 'indifference' parameter. The first two are both set with -simconf, the third with -simwidth.
* Switch -simpathlen <n> sets the maximum length of paths generated by the simulator.
* Switches -simmanual, -simvar <n> and -simmaxrwd <x> refer to technical details
described in Vincent's thesis and can be ignored for now.
From the GUI, the mostly commonly used options can be set from the "Simulation Parameters"
which appears when performing approximate model checking.
The remaining options can be found in the "Simulator" tab of the "Options" dialog.