Programming using induction
Conrad Mueller · Unisa Institutional Repository (University of South Africa) · 1990
Induction has been used as a major tool in mathematics in proving theorems. This paper explores whether it has an equally important role in formulating programs. There are those who advocate that induction should be used in the design of algorithms. An attempt is made here to take the argument further and propose that induction should be the way to express iteration in programs. An alternative way of stating iteration in the form of a generalised expression is suggested in the place of loops or recursive constructs.