ICML-98 Submission #50

TITLE: 
A Case Study in the
Use of Theory Revision in Requirements Validation

AUTHORS:
T.L. McCluskey, M.M. West 

AUTHORS  ADDRESS:
School of Computing and Mathematics, 
The University of Huddersfield, 
HD1 3DH, UK

ABSTRACT:
Research emanating from Artificial Intelligence has throughout its
history contributed to techniques and ideas in Software Engineering. 
We describe in this paper a Case Study showing the use of theory 
revision to the refinement of a formally specified requirements
model. In a previous project we were contracted to create a precise model
of the complex criteria governing the separation of aircraft profiles
in Atlantic Airspace. During that work it became clear that the 
(automated) validation of the model was of the utmost importance, and
in our current project we have used
machine learning tools to provide extra support
in bug identification, bug removal and maintenance of such a
requirements model.
In this paper we give an overview of the domain, identify
a relevant learning bias which makes search for revisions
tractable, and describe a systematic approach for the application of
TR to such a model. 
We illustrate the approach with results of
experiments where theory revision techniques
have identified and removed errors, and induced a new part
of the model. 



KEYWORDS
Theory Revision, Machine Learning and Software Engineering,
Requirements Model, Automated Validation 

EMAIL ADDRESS (T L McCluskey): lee@zeus.hud.ac.uk, 

TELEPHONE NUMBER ( T L McCluskey):  +44-1484-472247