Correctness and efficiency : the two faces of systems analysis

In operations research and in computer science systems are modelled in order to determine system parameters or to derive properties ofthe systems. Although the objects of study in both disciplines have much in common their approaches are quite different and the gap between the Iwo worlds does not seem to become smaller. In this paper we show, using a simple case study, what the fundamental questions of systems analysis, are and the similarities and differences between the two approaches. We hope to bridge the gap a bit