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Programs are predicates. (English) Zbl 0558.68004

The author presents another deep insight into the phenomenon of programming. A computer program is identified with the strongest predicate P, describing every relevant observation that can be made of the behaviour of a ”process” (a computer executing that program). A simple and attractive programming language, in which such programs can be written, illustrates the ideas. The specifications should be expressed (also as a predicate S) very accurately, may be using the full set of logical and mathematical notations. Then the task of the programmer is to find (using e.g. top-down techniques) the predicate P in the restricted notations of the mentioned programming language, such that \(P\Rightarrow S\) can be proved.
Reviewer: C.Masagliu

MSC:

68N01 General topics in the theory of software
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