{
  "tag": "154J38",
  "kind": "definition",
  "slug": "specification",
  "name": "Specification",
  "aliases": [
    "Formal specification",
    "Problem specification"
  ],
  "area": "foundations/correctness-and-invariants",
  "level": "intro",
  "summary": "A precise statement of what an algorithm must do, relating inputs to required outputs.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "book": "isbn:9780262046305",
      "title": "Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest and Stein, Introduction to Algorithms, fourth edition",
      "locator": "Section 1.1"
    },
    {
      "paper": "doi:10.1145/363235.363259",
      "title": "C. A. R. Hoare, An axiomatic basis for computer programming, Communications of the ACM 12(10) (1969)",
      "locator": "pp. 576 to 580"
    }
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "precondition",
    "postcondition",
    "correctness",
    "hoare-triple",
    "total-correctness",
    "design-by-contract"
  ],
  "url": "https://algorithm.tamnd.com/specification/",
  "path": "nodes/foundations/correctness-and-invariants/specification",
  "status": {
    "slug": "specification",
    "h": {
      "level": 0,
      "max": 3,
      "label": "H0",
      "name": "no proof",
      "next": [
        "add a proof in proofs/ (06.5)"
      ]
    },
    "l": {
      "level": 0,
      "max": 4,
      "label": "L0",
      "name": "no Lean part",
      "next": [
        "name a Lean module in the lean field (07)"
      ]
    },
    "i": {},
    "v": {
      "level": 0,
      "max": 3,
      "label": "V0",
      "name": "none",
      "next": [
        "add viz/scene.ts or a figure (10)"
      ]
    },
    "w": {
      "level": 4,
      "max": 5,
      "label": "W4",
      "name": "complete",
      "next": [
        "a review of the text: no review record reviews/154J38/text.yaml"
      ]
    }
  },
  "scene": false
}