An Experiment with Algebraic Specifications of Software Components

A long lasting myth of formal methods is that they are difficult to learn and expensive to apply. This paper reports a controlled experiment to test if this myth is true or false in the context of writing algebraic formal specifications. The experiment shows that writing algebraic specifications for software components can be learnt by ordinary university students. It does not heavily depend on mathematical knowledge and skills. Moreover, it is not time consuming to write algebraic specifications for software components.