BROOKS'S LAW
\bɹˈʊksɪz lˈɔː], \bɹˈʊksɪz lˈɔː], \b_ɹ_ˈʊ_k_s_ɪ_z l_ˈɔː]\
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"Adding manpower to a late software projectmakes it later" - a result of the fact that the expectedadvantage from splitting work among N programmers is O(N) (that is, proportional to N), but the complexity andcommunications cost associated with coordinating and thenmerging their work is O(N^2) (that is, proportional to thesquare of N).The quote is from Fred Brooks, a manager of IBM's OS/360project and author of "The Mythical Man-Month".The myth in question has been most tersely expressed as"Programmer time is fungible" and Brooks establishedconclusively that it is not. Hackers have never forgotten hisadvice; too often, management still does.See also creationism, second-system effect, optimism.
By Denis Howe
Word of the day
Platidiam
- An inorganic water-soluble platinum complex. After undergoing hydrolysis, it reacts DNA produce both intra interstrand crosslinks. These crosslinks appear to impair replication and transcription of DNA. The cytotoxicity cisplatin correlates with cellular arrest in G2 phase cell cycle.