A Petri net is a mathematical representation of a network. This book first introduces the basic models including time and stochastic extensions, in particular place-transition and high level Petri nets. Their modeling and design capabilities are illustrated by a set of representations of interest in operating and communication systems. The volume then addresses the related verification problems and proposes corresponding solutions by introducing the main notions needed to fully understand the behavior and properties behind Petri nets. Particular attention is devoted to how systems can be fully represented and analyzed in terms of their behavioral, time, and stochastic aspects by using the same formal approach and semantic basis. Finally, illustrative examples are presented in the important fields of interoperability in telecommunication services, programming languages, multimedia architectures, manufacturing systems, and communication protocols.

Michel Diaz is director of research at the National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS), Paris, France and leads the critical computer systems research department at LAAS-CNRS, Toulouse.