requireentail

Requireentail is a neologism used to describe the relation between a requirement and a proposition or specification that is entailed by that requirement within a modeling or argumentation framework. The term is used mainly in discussions of formal methods, requirements engineering, and knowledge representation to denote that satisfying the requirement guarantees a particular consequence.

Formally, a requirement R requireentails a proposition P with respect to a theory T if R ⊨ P under T. The entailment is typically monotonic and contingent on the assumptions and level of abstraction chosen for the model. The relation is directional: R requireentails P does not imply P requireentails R.

Example: R: "The system shall log every user action" requireentails P: "the system maintains a chronological action log." In many modeling languages, once R is satisfied, P follows as a property of the resulting system state.

Applications: In requirements traceability, requireentail helps verify that a set of requirements covers intended behaviors; in impact analysis, changes to R prompt reevaluation of entailed propositions; in formal verification, the relation guides the design of tests and proofs.

Status: Requireentail is not a widely standardized term. It appears chiefly in theoretical discussions or as a conceptual shorthand for the entailment relationship between requirements and consequences. Readers should clarify its definition within a given framework.