Inductive Methodsfor Proving Properties of Programs There are two main purposes in this paper: first, clarification and extension of known results about computation of recursive programs, with emphasis on the difference between the theoretical and practical approaches; second, presentation and examination of various known methods for proving properties of recursive programs. Discussed in detail are two powerful inductive methods computational induction and structural induction, including examples of their applications. CACM August, 1973 Manna, Z. Nes, S. Vuillemin, J. recursive programs, least fixed point, computational induction, structural induction 4.2 5.23 5.24 CA730817 JB January 23, 1978 10:24 AM 2326 4 2457 2411 4 2457 2457 4 2457 2457 4 2457 2842 4 2457 2903 4 2457 2192 5 2457 2326 5 2457 2457 5 2457 2457 5 2457 2457 5 2457 2981 5 2457 3030 5 2457 3077 5 2457 3104 5 2457 210 6 2457 1834 6 2457 2060 6 2457 2247 6 2457 2356 6 2457 2457 6 2457 2457 6 2457 2457 6 2457 2457 6 2457 2651 6 2457 2683 6 2457 2958 6 2457 2972 6 2457