Linear temporal logic 2026-10-31
A temporal logic interpreted along infinite paths in a transition system. At position , requires at , requires it at some , and requires it at every . Strong until and weak until express conditions that hold up to a later event. A system satisfies a specification when all relevant initial paths in a transition system satisfy it.
Denote the three families found in part (a) by , and , where . All are fair paths in a transition system. The verdicts are
Each verdict follows from the infinite path in a transition system semantics, rather than from a finite prefix alone.
For , take . From onwards, is always false, so there is no time after which is always true. Therefore the first specification fails, with fair counterexample . The path in a transition system is another fair counterexample, because it encounters , where is false, infinitely often. Each does satisfy , since satisfies forever.
For , take . Its next state is , so is true, but is false as just shown. Thus the second specification fails, with fair counterexample . Alternatively, has next state , making its antecedent true and its consequent false. For with , the next state is still , so this implication is true there because its antecedent is false; this does not rescue a universally quantified specification.
For , the fair path in a transition system reaches , where is false. Thus the third specification fails, with fair counterexample . In fact every fair initial path in a transition system reaches or , so none satisfies .
For , strong until requires an eventual position satisfying , together with at every earlier position. On , is true forever, so never holds. Thus the fourth specification fails, with fair counterexample . On each , holds until entry into , after which holds forever. On each , holds until entry into , after which holds forever. These latter paths in a transition system satisfy the strong until requirement.
For , weak until permits either the preceding strong until behavior or . Every and satisfies the strong until behavior, and satisfies . These exhaust the fair initial paths in a transition system. Therefore the fifth specification holds on every fair initial path. Allowing the left operand to continue forever is exactly what distinguishes this answer from the previous one.
For , the two next-time operators belong to the left operand of strong until. The fair path in a transition system has true at positions zero and one, then false at every position from two onwards. Therefore first holds at position two. But is false already at position zero, since is false at position two. A witness for strong until cannot occur at zero or one, where its right operand is false, or at two or later, where its left operand has already failed. Thus the sixth specification fails, with fair counterexample .
Indeed, every fair initial path in a transition system fails the sixth specification. On , the right operand never holds. On and , let be the first position of the permanent tail. The left operand is false at , strictly before any possible right-operand witness. This also checks that the two next-time operators cannot be ignored or shifted onto the whole strong until formula.