Negative Improvements, Relative Validity and Elusive Goodness
Abstract
Various issues related to the complexity of apprais- ing the capabilities of physics models implemented in Monte Carlo simulation codes and the evolution of the functional quality the associated software are considered, such as the dependence on the experimental environment where the software operates and its sensitivity to detector characteristics. The concept of software validity as relative to the environment is illustrated by means of a real-life experimental test case. Methods and techniques to mitigate the risk of deteriorating the quality of the software are critically discussed: they concern various disciplines of the software development process. Quantitative validation of physics models is advocated as a method to appraise their capabilities objectively and to monitor the evolution of their associated software behavior.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1311.5150,
title = {Negative Improvements, Relative Validity and Elusive Goodness},
author = {Matej Batic and Gabriela Hoff and Chan Hyeong Kim and Sung Hun Kim and Maria Grazia Pia and Paolo Saracco and Georg Weidenspointner},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1311.5150},
year = {2013}
}
Comments
To be published in the Proceedings of IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium 2013