An axiomatic basis for computer programming

In this paper an attempt is made to explore the logical foundations of computer programming by use of techniques which were first applied in the study of geometry and have later been extended to other branches of mathematics. This involves the elucidation of sets of axioms and rules of inference whi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCommunications of the ACM Vol. 12; no. 10; pp. 576 - 580
Main Author Hoare, C. A. R.
Format Magazine Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, NY, USA ACM 01.10.1969
Subjects
Arbitrary-precision arithmetic
Interval arithmetic
Mathematical analysis
Mathematics of computing
Numerical analysis
Software and its engineering
formal language definition
program documentation
machine-independent programming
programming language design
theory of programming' proofs of programs
axiomatic method
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ISSN0001-0782
1557-7317
1557-7317
DOI10.1145/363235.363259

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Summary:In this paper an attempt is made to explore the logical foundations of computer programming by use of techniques which were first applied in the study of geometry and have later been extended to other branches of mathematics. This involves the elucidation of sets of axioms and rules of inference which can be used in proofs of the properties of computer programs. Examples are given of such axioms and rules, and a formal proof of a simple theorem is displayed. Finally, it is argued that important advantage, both theoretical and practical, may follow from a pursuance of these topics.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
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ISSN:0001-0782
1557-7317
1557-7317
DOI:10.1145/363235.363259