Formal methods: an international perspective

The goal of formal methods is to base the software development process upon a workable set of mathematical techniques. The common names associated with various subclasses of formal methods express both the purpose and mode of the technique; formal specification, mathematical verification, proofs of correctness, formal description languages, rigorous development methods, stepwise refinement, etc. North American and European research groups took different technical directions. The author provides the perspective of one US researcher who has been particularly influenced by the international forces shaping the formal methods field as both a technical subject and a social enterprise.<<ETX>>