Model checking erlang programs: the functional approach

We present the new model checker McErlang for verifying Erlang programs. In comparison with the etomcrl tool set, McErlang differs mainly in that it is implemented in Erlang. The implementation language offers several advantages: checkable programs use "almost" normal Erlang, correctness properties are formulated in Erlang itself instead of a temporal logic, and it is easier to properly diagnose program bugs discovered by the model checker. In addition the model checker can easily be modified, thanks largely to the use of Erlang. The drawback of writing the model checker in Erlang is, potentially, severely reduced performance compared with model checking tools programmed in programming languages which permit destructive updates of data structures.