Computer-aided model construction

The authors examine ways in which the construction of mathematical models may be supported, and review several approaches for computer-aided model construction. The construction of complex models can be a challenging task even for expert modelers. The aim of computer-aided model construction systems is to simplify this task. The authors view model construction as a state transformation process, and suggest that the process can be facilitated by supporting the creation of certain representations or by transforming an existing representation to another. For example, declarative modeling languages facilitate the specification of an executable statement of the mathematical model, while knowledge-based model construction systems assist the creation of the mathematical formulation. Knowledge-based model construction systems are the focus of the present review of existing systems. To facilitate a comparison of several such systems, the authors characterize them in terms of their cognitive bases, the representations developed in them, and the methods for transformation of these representations.