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I think in pure compsci theory you might be right, but in practice (industrial SW production), we usually limit ourselves to algorithmic solutions that do not i
by js8 5y ago
I think in pure compsci theory you might be right, but in practice (industrial SW production), we usually limit ourselves to algorithmic solutions that do not involve halting problem, so estimation is possible. For example, an upper limit for a rewrite of a system is how long it took to create the original system (provided you understand the tradeoffs and issues of the original architecture).
- doctor_eval 5y agoI don’t understand. The halting problem says you can’t tell if an algorithm halts without running it - you can’t be sure any program will run to completion in a specific time. It applies to any non trivial program. And it’s well established that a rewrite is dangerous. The second system effect suggests that rewrites will always take much longer.