To me the author used a lot of words to describe something that is obvious to any engineer. The “perfect program” doesn’t exist because every program is designed in terms of its requirements. You can only have the “best fit”, or “best compromise”, in the same way that you can’t have the best car, the best house, the best computer, the best shoes… And we all know we can’t have a single object to fit any requirements, for example you can’t have “the best car” which is at the same time the best Formula1 car and the best off-road vehicle.
To me the author used a lot of words to describe something that is obvious to any engineer. The “perfect program” doesn’t exist because every program is designed in terms of its requirements. You can only have the “best fit”, or “best compromise”, in the same way that you can’t have the best car, the best house, the best computer, the best shoes… And we all know we can’t have a single object to fit any requirements, for example you can’t have “the best car” which is at the same time the best Formula1 car and the best off-road vehicle.
You bet! There is (was) even a patent!
A bit philosophical but an interesting read.