Symbolic execution in algorithm design

Symbolic execution of partial algorithm descriptions is a powerful method of guiding the algorithm design process (as is borne out by studying protocols of human algorithm designers).yet the role of symbolic execution in algorithm design has not been closely examined, despite the work on symbolic execution of complete programs as an aid in the validation of software. In the control of the DESIGNER project we have developed data-flow language for representing partially designed algorithms and a process for symbolically executing data-flow configurations that can discover useful knowledge to guide design. The techniques described here contribute significantly towards our goal of building a fully automated algorithm design system.