Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

formal methods
     
         Mathematically based techniques
        for the {specification}, development and verification of
        software and hardware systems.
     
        {Referentially transparent} languages are amenable to symbolic
        manipulation allowing {program transformation} (e.g. changing
        a clear inefficient specification into an obscure but
        efficient program) and proof of correctness.
     
        {Oxford FM archive
        (http://www.comlab.ox.ac.uk/archive/formal-methods.html)}.
     
        (1996-05-15)