When I made that comparison I meant to highlight the fact that physics determines a certain minimal amount of work required to raise a body of a certain mass to

When I made that comparison I meant to highlight the fact that physics determines a certain minimal amount of work required to raise a body of a certain mass to the top of the mountain. Any improvements in efficiency is small in comparison to that required work. So that is the first thing we must understand: there is a large cost to building something complex, and nothing can drastically reduce it. Formal methods -- or any other useful technique -- are beneficial only once you understand this. Most of the cost is determined by what you build, not how you build it, so the only way to drastically cut it is to build drastically less. Once you've decided what it is that you need to build, you must be ready to pay the cost.