Question: Design Tools
Chapter 5 in the Schach text is titled "Tools of the Trade". The beginning of the chapter focuses on conceptual design tools - strategies that can be used in the process of designing solutions to problems. Class discussion focused on two sets of strategies:
• "Software engineering" conceptual design strategies, all having the common goal of managing "volumetric" complexity. Strategies in this category included:
o Stepwise refinement
o Divide and conquer
o Separation of concerns
The common focus of these strategies: choosing an effective and efficientproblem solution based on the problem at hand that addresses the capabilities and limitations ofsoftware engineers.
• "Algorithm" conceptual design strategies, all having the common goal of dealing with "algorithmic" complexity. Strategies in this category included:
o Greedy (brute force)
o Divide and Conquer
o Dynamic
The common focus of these strategies: choosing an effective and efficient problem solution based on the problem at hand that addresses the capabilities and limitations of the computer and its resources.
You are to write a white paper that presents the rationalé for why these two categories of design strategies should be considered fundamental and fundamentally different. Your paper should be organized as follows:
• Abstract - a short paragraph presenting an overview of the paper:
o Objective of the paper
o What will be presented
o Summary of conclusions
• Expository information
o Software engineering design category
? Overview of the software engineering design category and why it should be treated as a category unto itself
? Definition and discussion of each strategy within the category
? Analysis of the relationships (similarities and differences) of the category strategies
o Algorithm design category
? Overview of the algorithm design category and why it should be treated as a category unto itself
? Definition and discussion of each strategy within the category
? Analysis of the relationships (similarities and differences) of the category strategies
• Summary
o Brief review of the expository information and consequent analyses
Your paper is subject to the following non-functional requirements:
• File name: Conceptual Design Tools YourLastName.docx
• Cover page
o Course id and title in upper left corner, semester in upper right corner
o Title of the document, centered on line 5 (18 point type)
• Abstract - begin on line 10 of the title page, no more than 150 words. Page break after the abstract.
• Expository information - at least one full page for each category, no more than two pages for each
• Summary - at least 2/3rds of a page, no more than one full page
• ¾" margins all around
• Calibri font, 11 point (unless indicated otherwise).