The theory of principle-based engineering

Introduces principle-based engineering. An important aim is to convey the difference between the principle-based and rule-based approaches. There are four main sections. The first section reviews the relationship between rule-based grammar and automata classifying the most general type 0 grammar and equivalent Turing Machine as specification-based in their approach. The second section describes principle-based grammar and how its non-constructive nature differentiates it from the constructive nature of rule-based grammar. The third section considers the importance of the different approaches and a mathematical argument used to show that rule-based grammar is inadequate to describe natural language while principle-based grammar is appropriate; so establishing a principle-based versus specification-based distinction. The final section explores the consequences of the difference between the principle-based and rule-based approaches (given the previous equivalence between the most general type 0 rule-based grammar and Turing Machines) in a consideration of principle-based engineering as a method of system design.<>