computer science

Software parametric models

Software parametric models is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Software parametric models rather than just read about it. In short: A parametric model is a set of related mathematical equations that incorporates variable parameters. A scenario is defined by selecting a value for each parameter.

Key takeaways

Software parametric models belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Software parametric models to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Software parametric models from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A parametric model is a set of related mathematical equations that incorporates variable parameters. A scenario is defined by selecting a value for each parameter. Software project managers use software parametric models and parametric estimation tools to estimate their projects' duration, staffing and cost. In the early 1980s refinements to earlier models, such as PRICE S and SLIM, and new models, such as SPQR, Checkpoint, ESTIMACS, SEER-SEM or COCOMO and its commercial implementations PCOC, Costimator, GECOMO, COSTAR and Before You Leap emerged. The prime advantage of these models is that they are objective, repeatable, calibrated and easy to use, although calibration to previous experience may be a disadvantage when applied to a significantly different project. These models were highly effective for waterfall model, version 1 software projects of the 1980s and highlighted the early achievements of parametrics. As systems became more complex and new languages emerged, different software parametric models emerged that employed new cost estimating relationships, risk analyzers, software sizing, nonlinear software reuse, and personnel continuity.

See also Software Product Lines Online Tools

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Software parametric models

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Software parametric models claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Software parametric models before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Software parametric models ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Software parametric models

In research: Software parametric models appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Software parametric models in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Software parametric models is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Business software, Project management software, Software metrics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Software parametric models outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Software parametric models in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Software parametric models means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Software parametric models out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Software parametric models in simple terms?

A parametric model is a set of related mathematical equations that incorporates variable parameters. A scenario is defined by selecting a value for each parameter.

Why does Software parametric models matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Software parametric models?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Software parametric models.