An Adaptive Approach to Qualitative Modeling in Design

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An adaptive approach to qualitative modeling of physical devices will be investigated. The behaviors of a physical device, in this approach, are acquired by modifying and combining structure behavior models of known devices and behavioral models of generic domain mechanisms. The structure-behavior model of a specific device explicitly specifies its structure, its functions, and the internal causal behaviors that show how its structure achieves its functions. The behavioral model of a generic domain mechanism specifies its function and model of a known device is revised by model-revision plans, where each plan accommodates a specific type of structural or functional difference between the new and the known devices. The process of model revision is focused by knowledge of the internal causal behaviors of the known device. The research will evaluate the adaptive approach to qualitative modeling for solving the task of design verification. The design- verification task is to predict whether a proposed design will deliver the functions desired of it. This research will contribute to qualitative modeling by providing a unified view of qualitative modeling, model memory, and model learning.