Correctness

Correctness is the degree to which a system provides the correct results, with the degree of precision that a particular problem needs. A correct system doesn’t merely run without error, it produces the outcomes its requirements actually call for, for every input the requirements say it should handle.

ISO/IEC 25010 classifies correctness as a quality attribute, specifically a sub-characteristic of functional suitability – the broader characteristic covering whether a system’s functions meet stated and implied needs.

Correctness is normally verified through testing against a specification, though the precision it demands varies by domain. A financial calculation may need to be exact, while a numerical simulation may only need to be correct within a defined tolerance. So correctness is rarely a binary property.

References

• ISO/IEC (2023). ISO/IEC 25010:2023 — Systems and software Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) — Quality model.