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A procedure to debug computer programs
Author(s) -
Shih T. M.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
international journal for numerical methods in engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.421
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1097-0207
pISSN - 0029-5981
DOI - 10.1002/nme.1620210605
Subject(s) - debugging , statement (logic) , computer science , computer program , problem statement , algorithm , theoretical computer science , mathematical optimization , programming language , mathematics , engineering , management science , political science , law
Abstract This analysis presents a procedure that can reliably debug computer programs. The central idea lies in creating a fictitious problem whose exact solution exists and is known, and in obtaining the numerical solution for comparison with the exact solution. If the two solutions are found identical, it is safe to assume that the computer program computing the fictitious problem is free of bugs. Then, conversion of the program computing the ficititious problem to that computing the real problem generally involves changing only one single statement. This procedure may be jointly used with all the existing numerical schemes.