Modelling & Design Flashcards

Flashcards covering the key concepts from the Modelling & Design lecture.

What are the three fundamental pillars for analysts/designers according to this course?

Fundamentals of systems at the Data level, Information level, and Knowledge level.

What should students do if they have doubts or curiosities about the course material?

Intervene in class and/or on the Canvas discussion board.

What does the individual final exam assess?

Theory presented during classes and engagement with the readings.

What is the focus of the weekly practical assignments?

Mostly modeling exercises, varying each week, with further reflection/elaborations.

What topics are covered in the course outline?

Modelling, Types of Reasoning, Language; Systems, Organizations; Computing, Programming Paradigms; Communication as Transmission and as Description, Uncertainty; Problem Solving Methods, Decision-Making and Risk; Argumentation, Narratives; Social-aware Design.

What are some interpretations of 'What is a model?'?

Reproduction in scale? Proposed reference (possibly trend-setter)? Intuitive understanding of (part of) the world? Statistical representation of (part of) the world? Machine-learned statistical-based representation of some domain expressed in data?

Give an example of Pre-scientific modelling.

Chinese geomancy: you should not build on top of mountains as the dragon under the mountains could move, destroying your house.

What is the purpose of Scientific modeling?

Applying scientific methods, our models of the world have been improving in time

What is the definition of Machine-learned models?

Applying statistical-based computational methods we can approximate functions reproducing a (typically very high) number of observations

What is the note regarding Large Language Models (LLMs)?

LLMs are models of language, not of agents, nor of the world!

Why is modelling important for Guiding exploration?

Figure out what questions to ask, reveal key design decisions, uncover problems (e.g., physical models).

Why is modelling important for Reifying our understanding?

Select what is relevant in the target domain, e.g., conceptual models.

Why is modelling important for Guiding action?

With model actualization, either targeting execution (behavior) or implementation (structure), e.g., blue-prints.

What is an explicit model and why are they imporant?

Help to deepen understanding: reasoning about the model to understand its consequences, checking expectations, animating the model to visualize/validate behaviour (simulation)

Name two types of types of model specifications?

Deterministic models, Probabilistic models, Behavioural/procedural models, Intentional models

Name three types of formal models in organizations.

Business process models, Knowledge/structural models, Accounting models, Statistical models.

List some examples of informal models in organizations.

Expert’s conceptualization and knowledge, Prototypical cases, Failure modes, Best and bad practices, Decision heuristics, Default assumptions, Non-compliance scenarios

What are the levels of Requirements?

Shared understanding of a problem

What are the levels of Architecture?

Outline of a solution

What are the three approaches to truth in the history of science?

Empiricists, Metaphysicists, True Scientists.

How is knowledge constructed according to Empiricists?

On the basis of observations (measurements, facts, senses, experiences)

How is knowledge constructed according to Metaphysicists?

On the basis of unifying, non-conflicting theories capturing underlying principles

How is knowledge constructed according to True Scientists?

By means of theories, validated against empirical data.

What is an example of empirical law from Physics and what does that mean?

Hooke’s law: the force of deformation of a spring is (roughly) proportional to size of the deformation. We do not know why this formula works, but we can use it for predictions.

What is the key concept behind Stevin’s Law?

The pressure in a fluid is proportional to depth.

How does the lectures describe Logical Positivists?

Everything has to be expressed and proven formally (mathematically), otherwise it is irrelevant, or even wrong.

Name some ontological frameworks that are relevant modelling efforts?

Critical realism = Critical Naturalism + Trascendental Realism

What are the ingredients of CR ontology?

Mechanisms, Events, Observations

What is the difference between modelling as describing and prescribing?

Directing the mind vs directing the world (design).

What is the matter of teleology?

The reason for action is a desired future, not the present or past.

What is the matter of teleonomy?

The reason for a system to be as it was evolutionary determined (fitness to ecological niche)

What counts in control theory?

The existence of some reference (the target of control), which the regulated entity is set to either approach or avoid (the direction of control).

How are regulative mechanisms abstracted?

By this control signature (target, direction), any regulative mechanism can be abstracted from its implementation.

Describe Open-loop control using an example.

A heating system switching on at a certain time every day (the triggering of the actuator does not depend on target variable).

Describe Closed-loop control: negative feedback using an example.

A heating system switching on when the temperature is too low (the triggering of the actuator depends on target variable).

What are the A few core requirements for ACTUATOR SENSOR ENVIRONMENT?

The directive can be captured, the directive can be actualized, the state can be captured the directive can be adequately adapted

Describe controlling compexity.

In (well-known, established, stable) technical domains, systems are generally under control and can be monitored in details, possibly in real time primary matter of engineering concerns

Describe Navigating complexity?

In natural, social or unknown technical domains, systems are usually open, dynamic and adaptive, and much is unknown, which is a primary matter of architectural concerns.

What are models used for?

Reasoning

What are some types of reasoning?

Drawing conclusions by means of reasons, these conclusions generally support decision-making, eg. about which action to select

Deduction

Rule: All the beans from this bag are white. Fact: These beans are from this bag. Fact: These beans are white. This conclusion is certainly true, if the premises are true (logical proof).

Induction

Fact: These beans are from this bag. Fact: These beans are white. Generalizing rule: All the beans from this bag are white. This conclusion is true until proved otherwise.

Abduction

Rule: All the beans from this bag are white. Fact: These beans are white. (Hypothetical) fact: These beans are from this bag. This conclusion is plausibly/probably true (inference to the best explanation).

How Does Analogy bypass sequencing?

Given a new case, the answer is based on the case “most similar” to the new case

List three types of signs

Icon, Index, Symbol

Icon

A sign with a form similar to what represents

Index

A sign referring to something co-occurring with what is represented.

Symbol

A sign representing something according to some cultural convention.

The semiotic triangle

the AGENT (interpreter), Concept, the WORLD, the SIGN

What does a language consist of?

At the very least, a language consists of signs!

What are compound objects?

Words, Sentences, Paragraphs, …

What is Syntax?

Is about rules of composition of symbols matter of valid expression ie. grammars!

What is Semantic?

Is about the meaning of such composition ie. domain of concepts or of world entities

well-formed formulas

grammatically correct expression

What is the formal visual notation for distributed computing?

Petri Nets

In Petri Nets, what are the circles?

Potential local states.

In Petri Nets, what are the boxes?

Immediate events

In Petri Nets, what are the dots?

Are in active local states

UML

Unified Modeling Language is a set of standardized visual notations (diagrams!), used to represent dimensions relevant to systems and software developers.

What are the aspects of UML diagrams?

Static aspects and Dynamic aspects

In UML class diagrams, how is the structure of the system described?

Classes, defined by attributes and operations, relationships between objects, IS-A (empty arrow), HAS-A (diamond)

Langue (Language) vs Parole (Speech)

Every individual is formed within a certain linguistic system, but then develops it autonomously.

For humans, what depends heavily on the social context?

The meaning of linguistic expressions do not rely on the words/signs only

What is Genotype vs Phenotype

Genotype (transported by DNA) transmits information on how to build an organism, phenotype is the expression of genotype, but depends also on environmental conditions and experiences the organism passes through

How are Darwin and Lamarck and evolutionary systems different?

Darwin was right with respect to biological systems. Yet, Lamarck’s intuition is much more fitting to cultural systems (social practices, languages, fake news, memes!), based on mimesis.