Xref: utzoo comp.lang.misc:7441 comp.object:3195 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!olivea!tymix!cirrusl!ss168!dhesi From: dhesi%cirrusl@oliveb.ATC.olivetti.com (Rahul Dhesi) Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc,comp.object Subject: Re: Software "Engineers" Message-ID: <3056@cirrusl.UUCP> Date: 16 Apr 91 06:39:58 GMT References: <3844@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP> Sender: news@cirrusl.UUCP Organization: Cirrus Logic Inc. Lines: 27 In <3844@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP> dmg@ssc-vax.uucp (David M Geary) writes: >Computer science is not, really. Where is the "science" in computer science? >There is no one correct way to write, for instance, a database. Computer science is essentially the study of algorithms. This is why it is a science. Algorithms can be implemented in many ways, and each of them is either correct. The science in computer science is mostly about correctness. The engineering in software engineering is mostly about efficiency. So: There may be more than one correct way to write a database system, but each of them is either correct or incorrect. The correct ways will all take forever to implement. The computer scientist can tell you (or die trying) whether the system is correct or not. The software engineer can tell you (or die trying) how close to correct it can be and still be implemented in your lifetime. -- Rahul Dhesi UUCP: oliveb!cirrusl!dhesi