Abstract. We study two-player stochastic games, where the goal of one player is to satisfy a formula given as a positive boolean combination of expected total reward objectives and the behaviour of the second player is adversarial. Such games are important for modelling, synthesis and verification of open systems with stochastic behaviour. We show that finding a winning strategy is PSPACE-hard in general and undecidable for deterministic strategies. We also prove that optimal strategies, if they exists, may require infinite memory and randomisation. However, when restricted to disjunctions of objectives only, memoryless deterministic strategies suffice, and the problem of deciding whether a winning strategy exists is NP-complete. We also present algorithms to approximate the Pareto sets of achievable objectives for the class of stopping games.

Abstract. We present automatic verification techniques for the modelling and analysis of probabilistic systems that incorporate competitive behaviour. These systems are modelled as turn-based stochastic multiplayer games, in which the players can either collaborate or compete in order to achieve a particular goal. We define a temporal logic called rPATL for expressing quantitative properties of stochastic multi-player games. This logic allows us to reason about the collective ability of a set of players to achieve a goal relating to the probability of an event's occurrence or the expected amount of cost/reward accumulated. We give a model checking algorithm for verifying properties expressed in this logic and implement the techniques in a probabilistic model checker, based on the PRISM tool. We demonstrate the applicability and efficiency of our methods by deploying them to analyse and detect potential weaknesses in a variety of large case studies, including algorithms for energy management and collective decision making for autonomous systems.

Abstract. We present PRISM-games, a model checker for stochastic multi-player games, which supports modelling, automated verification and strategy synthesis for probabilistic systems with competitive or cooperative behaviour. Models are described in a probabilistic extension of the Reactive Modules language and properties are expressed using rPATL, which extends the well-known logic ATL with operators to reason about probabilities, various reward-based measures, quantitative properties and precise bounds. The tool is based on the probabilistic model checker PRISM, benefiting from its existing user interface and simulator, whilst adding novel model checking algorithms for stochastic games, as well as functionality to synthesise optimal player strategies, explore or export them, and verify other properties under the specified strategy.

Abstract. We present automatic verification techniques for the modelling and analysis of probabilistic systems that incorporate competitive behaviour. These systems are modelled as turn-based stochastic multiplayer games, in which the players can either collaborate or compete in order to achieve a particular goal. We define a temporal logic called rPATL for expressing quantitative properties of stochastic multi-player games. This logic allows us to reason about the collective ability of a set of players to achieve a goal relating to the probability of an event's occurrence or the expected amount of cost/reward accumulated. We give a model checking algorithm for verifying properties expressed in this logic and implement the techniques in a probabilistic model checker, based on the PRISM tool. We demonstrate the applicability and efficiency of our methods by deploying them to analyse and detect potential weaknesses in a variety of large case studies, including algorithms for energy management and collective decision making for autonomous systems.

Abstract. We study strategy synthesis for stochastic two-player games with multiple objectives expressed as a conjunction of LTL and expected total reward goals. For stopping games, the strategies are constructed from the Pareto frontiers that we compute via value iteration. Since, in general, infinite memory is required for deterministic winning strategies in such games, our construction takes advantage of randomised memory updates in order to provide compact strategies. We implement our methods in PRISM-games, a model checker for stochastic multi-player games, and present a case study motivated by the DARPA Urban Challenge, illustrating how our methods can be used to synthesise strategies for high-level control of autonomous vehicles.