Requirements Change Until They Don't: Formal Methods and System Evolution
2025-04-28
This article explores how to handle constantly changing requirements in software development. While extensive upfront formal modeling might be impractical with frequent changes, the author argues that formal methods become crucial when systems reach scale or undergo architectural shifts (phase transitions). Formal specification and verification ensure that improvements don't break existing functionality. Using the example of switching from synchronous to asynchronous updates, the author demonstrates how formal methods can verify that a new system satisfies old requirements, highlighting the importance of software maintenance and preventing the silent failure of features.
Development
requirements change