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By a
method
I shall understand a set of
principles
,
techniques
and
tools
.
The
principles
structure the deployment of
techniques
and
tools
.
By a formal method I shall understand a method whose techniques and tools are mathematically based.
By a
formal software development method
I shall understand a
formal method
where domain descriptions,
requirements prescriptions and software designs
are
expressed in mathematically founded specification languages
with the
possibility of proving properties of steps and stages of development
(refinements within
domain descriptions, requirements prescriptions, software designs and
between these)
- properties such as correctness of software designs
with respect to requirements
and satisfaction of user expectations
(from software) with respect to domains.