Principles of the Spin Model Checker [Paperback]

Mordechai Ben-Ari (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 7, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1846287693 | ISBN-13: 978-1846287695 | Edition: 1st Edition.

This is the first introductory textbook on Spin, the only requirement is a background in programming. Spin models are written in the Promela language which is easily learned by students and programmers. Spin is easy to install and use. The Spin model checker is not only a widely used professional tool but it is also a superb tool for teaching important concepts of computer science such as verification, concurrency and nondeterminism. The book introduces Spin-based software that the author has developed for teaching. Complete programs demonstrate each construct and concept and these programs are available on a companion website.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Spin model checker is a widely used professional software tool for specifying and verifying concurrent and distributed systems. Models, written in a simple language called Promela, can be simulated randomly or interactively. Spin can generate efficient verifiers that search for a counterexample to correctness specifications applied to a model. Spin is also a superb tool for teaching important concepts of computer science such as verification, concurrency and nondeterminism. The Promela language is easy to learn, as is the linear temporal logic used for correctness specifications, and the techniques for simulating and verifying models. Principles of Spin is an introductory book for students and practicing software engineers who wish to learn Promela and Spin. The presentation starts with the verification of sequential programs and proceeds in gradual stages to the verification of concurrent and then distributed programs. Complete programs are used to demonstrate each construct and concept, and the source code of these programs, together with that of longer case studies, are available on the companion website. The book describes free software that the author has developed: jSpin—an integrated development environment for Spin, SpinSpider—a visualization tool that automatically constructs graphical state diagrams of concurrent programs, and VN—a Spin-based tool for visualizing nondeterminism of finite automata. Mordechai Ben-Ari is an associate professor in the Department of Science Teaching of the Weizmann Institute of Science. He is the author of numerous textbooks on concurrency, programming languages and logic, and has developed software tools for teaching concurrency. In 2004, Ben-Ari received the ACM/SIGCSE Award for Outstanding Contributions to Computer Science Education.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1st Edition. edition (January 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1846287693
• ISBN-13: 978-1846287695
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #976,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good Introduction into SPIN and Promela., July 3, 2008

By 

Florian Leitner (Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Principles of the Spin Model Checker (Paperback)

I'm a computer science student and have used SPIN during my bachelor thesis. I highly recommend this book to every one who wants's to use SPIN.
The book is written in a straightforward way that can easily be understood.