Editing Model checking (section)

{{short description|Computer science field}}
{{about|checking of models in computer science|the checking of models in statistics|statistical model validation}}

[[File:Two One G (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Elevator]] control software can be model-checked to verify both safety properties, like ''"The cabin never moves with its door open"'',<ref>For convenience, the example properties are paraphrased in natural language here. Model-checkers require them to be expressed in some formal logic, like [[Linear temporal logic|LTL]].</ref> and liveness properties, like ''"Whenever the n<sup>th</sup> floor's ''call'' button is pressed, the cabin will eventually stop at the n<sup>th</sup> floor and open the door"''.]]

In [[computer science]], '''model checking''' or '''property checking''' is a method for checking whether a [[finite-state machine|finite-state model]] of a system meets a given [[formal specification|specification]] (also known as [[correctness (computer science)|correctness]]). This is typically associated with [[Computer hardware|hardware]] or [[software system]]s, where the specification contains liveness requirements (such as avoidance of [[livelock]]) as well as safety requirements (such as avoidance of states representing a [[system crash]]).

In order to solve such a problem [[algorithm]]ically, both the model of the system and its specification are formulated in some precise mathematical language. To this end, the problem is formulated as a task in [[logic]], namely to check whether a [[structure (mathematical logic)|structure]] satisfies a given logical formula. This general concept applies to many kinds of logic and many kinds of structures. A simple model-checking problem consists of verifying whether a formula in the [[propositional logic]] is satisfied by a given structure.