Final answer:
(c) Mathematical. Formal methods in software engineering use mathematical notation for specifying and verifying system behavior, offering precision and rigor but with some limitations in realism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is option (c) Mathematical. In software engineering, formal methods predominantly use mathematical notation to specify, develop, and verify software systems. These methods rely on mathematical equations and formal logic to rigorously define system behavior and properties.
The use of formal methods ensures a greater level of precision and predictability in software engineering, allowing designers and engineers to reason about system correctness mathematically.
They are particularly useful in creating systems that require high reliability and safety standards, such as aerospace, transportation, and healthcare applications.
Despite the precision and rigor offered by mathematical models, they come with certain disadvantages. They are based on simplifying assumptions, and therefore, are not entirely realistic.
This can sometimes make them less suited for capturing all the nuances of complex systems compared to narrative or textual descriptions.
However, in formal methods within software engineering, the benefits of specificity and unambiguity that mathematical notation provides are of paramount importance.