statesformal

Statesformal is a term used in formal methods and theoretical computer science to denote a formalism for representing and reasoning about the states of a system. There is no single canonical implementation; it is often used as a generic label for state-centric formalisms proposed in research or documentation.

In typical interpretations, statesformal defines a state space S, an initial state s0, a transition relation R ⊆ S × S that captures how states evolve, and a labeling function L that assigns propositions to states. Properties of interest are expressed in a temporal or modal logic, enabling specification and verification of system behavior.

Statesformal concepts align with established formalisms such as labeled transition systems, Kripke structures, and finite-state machines. Variants may incorporate probabilistic transitions, real-time constraints, or continuous dynamics, depending on the application.

Applications include formal verification and model checking of software protocols, hardware designs, and safety-critical systems. An example is a simple two-state machine with states Safe and Unsafe, where a property requires that Unsafe is never reachable; transitions implement a guard that prevents moving to Unsafe under certain conditions.

History and usage notes: The term is used more as a descriptive label than as a fixed standard. Different authors or projects may define their own specifics for statesformal, so definitions can vary by context. It is sometimes introduced as a generalized framework before presenting a particular formalism.