Pre Post Conditions

Definition ∞ Pre-post conditions are formal statements that specify the state of a system before and after the execution of a particular operation. A precondition describes what must be true before an operation begins for it to function correctly. A postcondition describes what must be true after the operation completes, assuming the precondition was met. They define expected behavior. They outline system states.
Context ∞ In smart contract development and formal verification of blockchain protocols, defining precise pre-post conditions is essential for ensuring the correctness and security of decentralized applications. These conditions help developers reason about the behavior of immutable code and identify potential vulnerabilities before deployment. This rigorous approach minimizes errors in digital asset systems. This is vital for smart contract safety.