Improving Reachability in Vector Addition Systems through Pumpability

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Chen, Weijun, Fu, Yuxi, Zheng, Yangluo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Chen, Weijun
Fu, Yuxi
Zheng, Yangluo
author_facet Chen, Weijun
Fu, Yuxi
Zheng, Yangluo
contents Vector addition systems (VAS) constitute an important model of computation and concurrency that is equally expressive as the Petri net model. Recently, a lot of research has been conducted on vector addition systems with states (VASS), which are VASes equipped with a finite state control. Results on VASS naturally carry over to VAS, but no straightforward improvement is available. In this paper, we investigate the reachability problem in VAS in fixed dimensions. Based on a pumpability analysis of VAS that refines Rackoff's extraction for VASS, we obtain an F_{d-2} upper bound for the d-dimensional VAS reachability problem, improving the F_d upper bound inherited from the d-dimensional VASS reachability problem. Low-dimensional VASes are also considered. In particular, we establish a PSPACE upper bound for reachability in 4-dimensional VAS and an ELEMENTARY upper bound for 5-dimensional VAS, while the same upper bounds were known only for 2-VASS and 3-VASS, respectively. The result for 4-VAS particularly hinges on a simplified projection technique developed for geometrically 2-dimensional VASSes, whose reachability problem is shown to be equivalent to 2-VASS.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_24095
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Improving Reachability in Vector Addition Systems through Pumpability
Chen, Weijun
Fu, Yuxi
Zheng, Yangluo
Formal Languages and Automata Theory
Logic in Computer Science
Vector addition systems (VAS) constitute an important model of computation and concurrency that is equally expressive as the Petri net model. Recently, a lot of research has been conducted on vector addition systems with states (VASS), which are VASes equipped with a finite state control. Results on VASS naturally carry over to VAS, but no straightforward improvement is available. In this paper, we investigate the reachability problem in VAS in fixed dimensions. Based on a pumpability analysis of VAS that refines Rackoff's extraction for VASS, we obtain an F_{d-2} upper bound for the d-dimensional VAS reachability problem, improving the F_d upper bound inherited from the d-dimensional VASS reachability problem. Low-dimensional VASes are also considered. In particular, we establish a PSPACE upper bound for reachability in 4-dimensional VAS and an ELEMENTARY upper bound for 5-dimensional VAS, while the same upper bounds were known only for 2-VASS and 3-VASS, respectively. The result for 4-VAS particularly hinges on a simplified projection technique developed for geometrically 2-dimensional VASSes, whose reachability problem is shown to be equivalent to 2-VASS.
title Improving Reachability in Vector Addition Systems through Pumpability
topic Formal Languages and Automata Theory
Logic in Computer Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.24095