On request: what are "formal methods"

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#10

From: Jeroen van de Lagemaat
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 13:16

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Using my own definition, a formal method is a language with well
defined syntax and semantics. I.e. a specification is either correct or wrong
w.r.t. the language used and the meaning of this specification is unique, 
however, two specifications may be different in syntax, but still mean 
the same.

Generally, the syntax is given in BNF. The semantics are given as a meaning
of language elements and contructs in terms of a formal model, such as
process algebra.


-- 
    ___
 __/   \__________  Jeroen van de Lagemaat    <lagemaat@cs.utwente.nl>
|  \___/          |         
|___     __   ___ | University of Twente     
| |  |  /  \ (__  | Tele-Informatics & Open Systems
| |__|__\__/____) | P.O. Box 217  NL-7500 AE Enschede  The Netherlands
|_________________| tel. +31 53 893684              tfx. +31 53 333815

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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!mcsun!sun4nl!utrcu1!infnews!infnews!lagemaat
From: lagemaat@cs.utwente.nl (Jeroen van de Lagemaat)
Subject: On request: what are "formal methods"
Message-ID: <1992Aug12.151650@cs.utwente.nl>
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Organization: University of Twente, Dept. of Computer Science
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 13:16:50 GMT
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