The thinking of Professors Newell, Perlis, and Simon on the subject of “What is Computer Science?” was clarified In their famous Letter in Science [2]: their statement that “computer science is the study of computers” should be read in the context of the discussion that asserts that “Phenomena breed sciences” and their reference to “the varied, rich, complex phenomena surrounding computers.” The subsequent history of computer science and computing more generally at CMU to this day, strongly supports the continued viability of this definition.

It is now clear that information technology (IT) construed broadly has the power to revolutionize all areas of science and engineering (S&E) research and education. If exploited, this transformative power can change S&E forever. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is working toward this end, and, as a result, past efforts in supercomputing and high-performance networking are being subsumed into a broader, integrated vision of a more capable, ubiquitous, and accessible cyberinfrastructure (CI). We cannot attain this overnight, or alone, or without substantial research in computer science and engineering. This paper will outline the potential for revolution, the vision of CI, some of the challenges, and a possible path toward reaching that vision.

A specific technique-viewpoint resolution-is proposed as a means of providing early validation of the requirements for a complex system, and some initial empirical evidence of the effectiveness of a semi-automated implementation of the technique is provided. The technique is based on the fact that software requirements can and should be elicited from different viewpoints, and that examination of the differences resulting from them can be used as a way of assisting in the early validation of requirements. A language for expressing views from different viewpoints and a set of analogy heuristics for performing a syntactically oriented analysis of views are proposed. This analysis of views is capable of differentiating between missing information and conflicting information, thus providing support for viewpoint resolution.>

No abstract available.

This paper analyzes the concepts of software construction embodied in the Draco approach. The analysis relates specific aspects of Draco to particular software engineering (SE) principles and suggests future research needed to extend the approach. The purpose of this analysis is to help researchers understand Draco better and thus to enhance future research.

A basis for software engineering education proposed in 1976 is reviewed and found to still be valid today, although needing more emphasis on design and better delivery mechanisms. Specific recommendations are made.

This paper presents some developmental concerns for an expert system in the domain of software design. We discuss the context for such a system and explore the synergism between the human designer and automaton. A gross architecture for the automaton is given. A scenario of interaction between the designer and automaton is presented.

Abstract In on attempt to improve the representation used for software design, this paper describes the representation used on an actual project. Improvement through the use of case studies such as this one requires explicit analysis; this is presented in the following paper, so that the two should be read together.

Abstract This paper analyses in detail the design representation described in the preceding paper. Two sets of dimensions are defined and both representations‐metacode and decision statements‐ are evaluated against them. Suggestions for improving design representations, both these and in general, are presented.

This paper begins with an examination of the nature of software reliability, noting that two facets of reliability (correctness and robustness) are often confused. A brief survey is given of current attempts to improve program correctness and develop mechanisms that provide robustness. Starting from a discussion of the distinction that should be (but often isn't) drawn between design and programming, we identify six trends in software design that can be expected to impact significantly our ability to achieve reliable software. The paper closes with a brief discussion of the impact of software design automation on reliability.

This is another in a series of state-of-the-art reports from Infotech. It consists of edited discussions and presentations plus invited papers. Because a volume of this price will most likely not be sent out on approval, I think it important to review briefly the contents in detail before commenting on their value.

This book consists of three self-pacing programmed instruction courses: Introduction to Computer Systems and Programming Languages, Fortran, and Algol. The courses consist of brief (typically, 1 page) instructional exposition followed by questions and answers (1 frame). The introductory unit is 21 pages (25 frames) long and assumes no particular background on the part of the reader.