Re: Recursion (was PROLOG in the "real" world?)

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Article #4307

#4307

From: Tom Osborn
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1991 07:52

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lee@ecrc.de (Lee Naish) writes:

> [loop invariants as inductive hypotheses -> correct code, ...]
>...Sure, normal people tend to have a problem with induction.  They tend to
>have a problem writing correct code. ...

I think they have problems with formulating loop invariants and other
correctness supporting abstractions. The problems with induction are
a separate issue mainly to do with relevance (if they can't come to
terms with the invariants in the first place). The formal methods
seem to fall into place when the student (or novice _____) comes to
terms with abstraction and precision (IMHO + teaching experience).
--
Tom Osborn,                            "These infrastructures have diverted 
School of Computing Sciences,              large numbers of highly talented 
University of Technology, Sydney,            technologists from useful work".
PO Box 123 Broadway 2007,  AUSTRALIA.                   Robert Hecht-Neilsen.

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<1991Sep26.031311.836@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> <1991Oct02.193655.16492@chome.ruhr.de> <1991Oct3.180209.3023@athena.cs.uga.edu> <1991Oct04.142838.29652@eng.umd.edu> <1991Oct16.163624.19739@ecrc.de>

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From: osborn@socs.uts.edu.au (Tom Osborn)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.prolog,comp.software-eng,comp.edu,comp.ai,aus.ai
Subject: Re: Recursion (was PROLOG in the "real" world?)
Message-ID: <osborn.688895538@dragon>
Date: 31 Oct 91 07:52:18 GMT
References: <1991Sep26.031311.836@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> <1991Oct02.193655.16492@chome.ruhr.de> <1991Oct3.180209.3023@athena.cs.uga.edu> <1991Oct04.142838.29652@eng.umd.edu> <1991Oct16.163624.19739@ecrc.de>
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