Final answer:
The circumstances that define the validity of a particular operation are the data invariant, precondition, postcondition, and state.
Step-by-step explanation:
The circumstances that define the validity of a particular operation are the data invariant, precondition, postcondition, and state.
- The data invariant specifies the conditions that remain unchanged throughout the operation.
- The precondition outlines the conditions that must be true before the operation is applied.
- The postcondition describes the expected conditions that should hold true after the operation.
- The state refers to the overall condition or status of the system.