Monash University Computing & Information Technology handbook 1995

Copyright © Monash University 1995
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SFT3302

Software specification

B Durnota

4 points * 4 hours per week * First semester * Caulfield

The importance of formal methods in the development of software. Comparing property-based and model-based specifications. Algebraic specifications as a property-based formalism. Using predicate logic and set theory to codify statements about software properties. Model-based formal specification. Object-oriented formal specifications. Case studies in formal specification. Specifying abstract data types using formal specification. Refining high-level specifications into algorithms and data structures. Main algorithm design techniques. Analysing the complexity of algorithms. Using approximate algorithms. Review of important algorithms.

Assessment

Assignments: 100%

Prescribed texts

Diller A Z: An introduction to formal methods Wiley, 1990

Recommended texts

Brassard G Algorithmics. Theory and Practice Prentice-Hall, 1988

Cormen T H and others Introduction to algorithms MIT Press, 1990

Harel D Algorithics: The spirit of computing 2nd edn, Addison-Wesley, 1992

Horowitz E and Sahni S Fundamentals of computer algorithms Pitman, 1978

Potter B and others An Introduction to formal specifications and Z Prentice-Hall, 1991

van Horebeek I Algebraic specifications in software engineering Springer-Verlag, 1989

Wordsworth J B Software development with Z Addison-Wesley, 1992


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