Programming as Theory Building (1985)
Peter Naur's influential 1985 paper, "Programming as Theory Building," posits that successful software development is fundamentally about constructing a shared 'theory' within the minds of developers, rather than merely producing code. This theory encompasses a deep understanding of the problem domain, the program's design, and its operational context. A key consequence is that this internal, often unwritten, theory is paramount for effective maintenance and evolution, making it challenging for new team members to contribute without first acquiring this comprehensive understanding.
This foundational paper highlights that successful software development hinges on developers building a shared mental model, or "theory," of the system, crucial for long-term maintainability and evolution.

