Taxonomy/supplement/The problem statement table
Uit Werkplaats
< Taxonomy | supplement
The overal problem is to verify the specification against the requirement.
Problem | Designing an artefact specification and verifying it. The overall requirement is R0: Get 1 or two cups of hot coffee when desired. | ||
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Question | Answer | Explanation | |
→properties | |||
How are the properties under discussion defined? |
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There is a customer who wants some kind of a coffee machine. There is already a solution, but I want to make smth new. However, I will make the (specification of a) coffee machine that satisfies the same requirement. Also, I will use their sketch of the artefact as a help for the design of the mechanical parts. | |
Can the customer be consulted? Who? | Yes, we have a customer (Ms A. Ivanovic). | First I came up with the offer for the coffee machine. The initial requirements of the customer were: (R0) "I want the machine that produces 1 or 2 cups of coffee. One cup of coffee is made of 1 dl of water and 15g of the coffee. Water reservoir should have the capacity of 1 liter and the coffee reservoir should have the capacity of 0.5 kg of the coffee."
Question for the customer: | |
What is the problem domain? | I see two levels: Problem domain #1: Recipe for a coffee (ingredients, their amounts and possibly cooking time). Problem domain #2: Mechanical and electrical parts that will constitute the artefact. |
At the Lego problem, we said that the problem domain is sorting Lego blocks. Maybe the problem domain #2 belongs to the realization of the specification, which is not the problem we are solving here. No, we need some characteristics of mechanical and electrical parts. | |
Can a Domain expert for the problem domain be consulted? Who? | For the Problem domain #1: we will consult our customer for the recipe for the coffee. | I propose the following recipe: 15 g of the coffee milled for the 'filter coffee', 1dl of hot water (95 oC). Mix 5 seconds and pour through the filter. I also have a domain expert for mechanical and electrical parts (that is Mr D. Jovanovic) | |
→specification | |||
Which →specification language is (to be) used? Why? | Predicate logic | This is the language that the verification expert knows. It allow us to prove the specification with the theorem prover. | |
Is there a complete, formal specification? |
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The first try: |
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If the specification is not fixed: how can it be Validated? | Negotiation with the customer | ||
Does the customer or his domain expert understand the specification language? | No, he doesn't. But the verification expert will translate statements written in predicate logic, back to English language. | ||
→blueprint | |||
Which blueprint language is (to be) used? Why? | In different stages we will use different languages and notations. We first start with an informal sketch of the artifact. The next thing is to draw a problem diagram. It will help us to identify interfaces between components, where components are parts of the plant and the control Each part will be described with the predicate logic. |
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How complete is the blueprint? |
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There is a sketch of mechanical parts. There isn't a specification of these parts. And there is no control blueprint. | |
Do the providers of parts or their Domain experts understand the respective →specification languages from the →blueprint? | We will use problem diagrams and predicate logic and our customer understands them. | The interesting question is - what if the customer doesn't understand our specification language? We have to write down everything in natural language or in the language that we both understand. | |
How should it be established that the blueprint satisfies the specification? | We will formally verify description of the plant and the control (using a theorem prover, PVS for example). | ||
How should it be established that the artefact is a correct realisation of the blueprint? | Here, we will only verify the blueprint. Building an artefact is another problem. | It can happen that, while building an artefact, we realize that parts of the blueprint have to changed. But, here we are exercising NMR only until the realization of the blueprint. | |
→artefact | |||
How much of the artefact exists? Where? |
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If it does not (fully) exist, how and by whom will it be realised? | We are now designing a blueprint. Realisation is left for a later stage. | ||
What are the solution domains for the missing parts? | Mechanical parts (reservoirs, pipes), electro-mechanical parts (motors, valves, warmer), control part that will be realised by software running on a microprocessor | ||
Who are the Domain experts for the missing parts and their interfaces? | Mechanical, electrical, control, software engineers | ||
How can the artefact be Validated w.r.t. a specification? | Not being done here. | ||
Plan | |||
Step | To do | Comment | |
1 | Design the specification of the plant parts | ||
2 | At the same time parts of the control specification are designed | ||
3 | Design (finish) the control specification | ||
4 | Verify formally the overall specification |