Model-Based Verification: Abstraction Guidelines
• SEI Report
Publisher
Software Engineering Institute
CMU/SEI Report Number
CMU/SEI-2002-TN-011DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
10.1184/R1/6575570.v1Topic or Tag
Abstract
Model-Based Verification (MBV) is a systematic approach to finding defects (errors) in software requirements, designs, or code. The approach judiciously incorporates mathematical formalism, in the form of models, to provide a disciplined and logical analysis practice, rather than a "proof of correctness" strategy. This technical note presents a number of abstraction techniques that can be used to build essential models of system behavior in the context of MBV and details a methodology for creating state machine models using those techniques. In building essential models, abstraction is used to hide details and expose the entities, variables, states, and transitions needed to construct a state machine model. Through illustrative examples, this technical note identifies the types of simplifications that are useful and effective and highlights the importance of the perspective in determining what are the important elements to include in an abstracted model.
Cite This SEI Report
Hudak, J., Comella-Dorda, S., Gluch, D., Lewis, G., & Weinstock, C. (2002, October 1). Model-Based Verification: Abstraction Guidelines. (SEI Report CMU/SEI-2002-TN-011). Retrieved August 17, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6575570.v1.
@techreport{hudak_2002,
author={Hudak, John and Comella-Dorda, Santiago and Gluch, David and Lewis, Grace and Weinstock, Charles},
title={Model-Based Verification: Abstraction Guidelines},
month={Oct},
year={2002},
number={{CMU/SEI-2002-TN-011},
institution={Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University},
doi={10.1184/R1/6575570.v1},
url={https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6575570.v1},
note={Accessed: 2026-Aug-17}
}
Hudak, John, Santiago Comella-Dorda, David Gluch, Grace Lewis, and Charles Weinstock. "Model-Based Verification: Abstraction Guidelines." (CMU/SEI-2002-TN-011). Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, October 1, 2002. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6575570.v1.
J. Hudak, S. Comella-Dorda, D. Gluch, G. Lewis, and C. Weinstock, "Model-Based Verification: Abstraction Guidelines," Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, SEI Report CMU/SEI-2002-TN-011, 1-Oct-2002 [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6575570.v1. [Accessed: 17-Aug-2026].
Hudak, John, Santiago Comella-Dorda, David Gluch, Grace Lewis, and Charles Weinstock. "Model-Based Verification: Abstraction Guidelines." (SEI Report CMU/SEI-2002-TN-011). Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute, 1 Oct. 2002. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6575570.v1. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.
Hudak, John; Comella-Dorda, Santiago; Gluch, David; Lewis, Grace; & Weinstock, Charles. Model-Based Verification: Abstraction Guidelines. CMU/SEI-2002-TN-011. Software Engineering Institute. 2002. DOI: 10.1184/R1/6575570.v1. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6575570.v1