Statemarkers

Statemarkers are a concept originating from the field of formal verification, particularly in the context of model checking. They represent a specific state or property within a system's state space that is of interest to the verifier. When a model checker explores the possible states of a system, it can be instructed to identify or track when it reaches a statemarker.

Statemarkers are typically defined by a set of conditions or predicates that, when true, signify that the current state meets the criteria of the statemarker. For example, a statemarker might represent a "safe" state, an "error" state, or a state where a particular invariant holds true. The purpose of defining statemarkers is to allow for the verification of specific desirable or undesirable conditions within a system's behavior.

When a model checker encounters a state that satisfies the definition of a statemarker, it can record this occurrence. This information can then be used to prove or disprove properties about the system. For instance, if a statemarker is defined as an "unrecoverable error" state, and the model checker finds a path to this statemarker, it indicates that the system can indeed reach an error state. Conversely, if no path to such a statemarker can be found, it can provide evidence that the system is robust against that particular error. Statemarkers are a fundamental tool for guiding and interpreting the results of formal verification processes.