2016 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
17. Software Engineering Mathematics
Published in:
Guide to Discrete Mathematics
Abstract
This chapter provides an introduction to the important field of software engineering. The birth of the discipline was at the Garmisch conference in Germany in the late 1960s. Mathematics plays a key role in engineering, and it may potentially assist software engineers in delivering high-quality software products that are safe to use. However, it is important to recognize that while the use of mathematics is suitable for some areas of software engineering (especially in the safety and security critical fields), less rigorous techniques (such as software inspections and testing) are sufficient in most other areas of software engineering. The extent to which mathematics should be employed remains a topic of active debate.