Diagnosing degenerate forms in software

The degeneration of source code due to maintenance is a long known but little understood phenomenon. Currently, researchers face significant logistical challenges when conducting empirical studies and experiments, studying large-scale projects, and characterizing the development and growth of degenerative forms. These logistical challenges can be partially alleviated by developing automated metrics designed to identify degenerate forms. Furthermore, such metrics are essential for targeted refactoring and repairing degenerative forms. This dissertation research investigates a set of metrics targeted at specific degenerate forms common in software. The successful implementation and characterization of such metrics will enable further research in many forms of software maintenance.