Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science (Feb 2010)

Analysis of Boolean Equation Systems through Structure Graphs

  • Michel A. Reniers,
  • Tim A.C. Willemse

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.18.7
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. Proc. SOS 2009
pp. 92 – 107

Abstract

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We analyse the problem of solving Boolean equation systems through the use of structure graphs. The latter are obtained through an elegant set of Plotkin-style deduction rules. Our main contribution is that we show that equation systems with bisimilar structure graphs have the same solution. We show that our work conservatively extends earlier work, conducted by Keiren and Willemse, in which dependency graphs were used to analyse a subclass of Boolean equation systems, viz., equation systems in standard recursive form. We illustrate our approach by a small example, demonstrating the effect of simplifying an equation system through minimisation of its structure graph.