4 ms·
Giving a full proof that takes language semantics into account is very difficult. I think it isn't a practical way to verify programmes but maybe it'll be in fu
by grn 14y ago
Giving a full proof that takes language semantics into account is very difficult. I think it isn't a practical way to verify programmes but maybe it'll be in future.
- flogic 14y agoI don' think the advice is to do a proof, but rather to design and think about it in such a way that you could given enough time.
- dllthomas 14y agoOne of my CS theory profs had the policy, "A proof is anything that convinces me you could write a proof."
- wikwocket 14y agoThe advice isn't to mathematically prove anything, which as you mentioned is hard and may even be unsolvable. The advice is to look at the issue as you would a mathematical problem, critically and analytically. Don't use shotgun debugging or quick fixes, but instead try to understand the code thoroughly, what its goal is and how it accomplishes it. Instead of testing with random data, mentally walk through all the possibilities and branches. This is akin to making a mental model of what you are trying to do, and then verifying that the model is correct, and that your code matches the model.