Formal modeling and verification of maritime container processing -

Abstract

Cargo processing at a major port such as the Port of Beirut is a complex activity due to the large number of parties that are involved in a typical transaction. These parties have varied, often conflicting, interests. Studies have shown that the process of importing a container is overly complex and lengthy. Typically a container is processed in about 2--3 weeks, while theoretically only 7 days are needed. Also, costs are often far higher than they should be. Our research will investigate the reasons for this by constructing a game-theoretic agent-based model for the process of importing cargo containers. In particular, we focus on the role that corruption and self-interest play in cargo processing. Our aim is to minimize the time to process and the cost of a shipment. Our model will provide the ability to investigate the shipment process by model checking ATL formulae that express properties and behaviors of the agents involved.