Will Concurrency Theory Help Verifying Multi-agent Systems? { a Case Study {

The veriication of multi agent systems is an important and diicult task. Though much work is spent on veriication in concurrency theory only few results and tools are used in multi-agent systems. In this paper, we investigate how CCS, the calculus for concurrent systems, may contribute to the veriication of multi-agent systems. We review an architecture for a diagnosis agent and show how the top layer which deals with communication and control is veriied in CCS. We use the concurrency workbench, an automated veriication tool, to verify that the speciication meets its implementation. Based on this case study we identify concepts and modelling techniques in concurrency theory that serve the needs of multi-agent systems.