Based on a temporal model of relativistic space-time, the expression of distributed system behavior is studied in order to permit partial automation of the process of checking requirements and specifications, analyzing debugging information, and verification for concurrent and distributed systems. The temporal approach being studied combines relativity, to allow expression of true concurrency, and interval algebra, to allow representation at various levels of abstraction. The research exploits both a general temporal representation, and an efficient constraint propagation implementation of a reasoning technique to achieve practical applications of the theoretical model. A prototype, minimally intrusive debugging tool, FORESEE, can compare actual and expected program behavior, flagging inconsistencies. The project extends the expressiveness of the method, seeks further efficiencies in the representation, and studies the effects of the incompleteness of the constraint propagation algorithm.
