Automated protocol validation: One chain of development

The progress of one research effort in computer-automated protocol validation is summarized in this paper. It brings together in one place the results of a number of studies, some published and some to be published but all widely scattered in the literature. Described are a formal representation, the "duologue", "phase-diagram", and "state-pertubation" methods. These are discussed on the basis of a common example. Sample results from the validation of the CCITT X.21 interface are explained as an indication of what these techniques can achieve. © 1978.