Teaching Formal Methods

Raymond T. Boute

ISBN 10: 3540236112 / ISBN 13: 9783540236115

Published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg Nov 2004, 2004

About this Item

This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -'Professional engineers can often be distinguished from other designers by the engineers' ability to use mathematical models to describe and 1 analyze their products.' This observation by Parnas describes the de facto professional standards in all classical engineering disciplines (civil, mechanical, electrical, etc.). Unf- tunately, it is in sharp contrast with current (industrial) practice in software design, where mathematical models are hardly used at all, even by those who, 2 in Holloway's words 'aspire to be engineers.' The rare exceptions are certain critical applications, where mathematical techniques are used under the general name formal methods. Yet,thesamecharacteristicsthatmakeformalmethodsanecessityincritical applicationsmakethemalsoadvantageousineverydaysoftwaredesignatvarious levels from design e ciency to software quality. Why, then, is education failing with respect to formal methods - failing to convince students, academics and practitioners alike that formal methods are truly pragmatic; - failing to overcome a phobia of formality and mathematics; - failing to provide students with the basic skills and understanding required toadoptamoremathematicalandlogicalapproachtosoftwaredevelopment. Until education takes these failings seriously, formal methods will be an obscure byway in software engineering, which in turn will remain severely impoverished as a result. 264 pp. Englisch.

Seller Inventory # 9783540236115

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Teaching Formal Methods
• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg Nov 2004
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3540236112
• ISBN 13: 9783540236115
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 235W x 155H x 15D millimeters 235 millimeters width by 155 millimeters height by 15 millimeters depth
• Weight: 406 grams

About this title

Synopsis

“Professional engineers can often be distinguished from other designers by the engineers’ ability to use mathematical models to describe and 1 analyze their products.” This observation by Parnas describes the de facto professional standards in all classical engineering disciplines (civil, mechanical, electrical, etc.). Unf- tunately, it is in sharp contrast with current (industrial) practice in software design, where mathematical models are hardly used at all, even by those who, 2 in Holloway’s words “aspire to be engineers.” The rare exceptions are certain critical applications, where mathematical techniques are used under the general name formal methods. Yet,thesamecharacteristicsthatmakeformalmethodsanecessityincritical applicationsmakethemalsoadvantageousineverydaysoftwaredesignatvarious levels from design e?ciency to software quality. Why, then, is education failing with respect to formal methods? – failing to convince students, academics and practitioners alike that formal methods are truly pragmatic; – failing to overcome a phobia of formality and mathematics; – failing to provide students with the basic skills and understanding required toadoptamoremathematicalandlogicalapproachtosoftwaredevelopment. Until education takes these failings seriously, formal methods will be an obscure byway in software engineering, which in turn will remain severely impoverished as a result.