Inaugural Lecture. Per Christiansson 20.10.2004, [20.5.1999]
DIGITAL MODELS OF THE REALITY IN COMPUTERS

  • Models are formal incomplete descriptions of users, applications, IT-tools and contexts.

  • The reality can be represented with many types of (knowledge) representations.

  • The computer models are accessed through man-machine interfaces (multimedia).


FROM REAL WORLD TO ICT SUPPORTED SYSTEMS
  • Real world (activities, things, processes, context, persons)
  • The real world can be described as (interrelated)systems to accomplish different functions (e.g. a heating system to provide personal and artifact living and working quality, load carrying building system).
  • The systems are modelled in context.
    • Conceptual models more or less formal (rich pictures, E-R diagrams, IDEF0,...)
    • Data models in formal representations (OO systems, relational db, hypertext,...) are designed
  • Implementation of data models in physical information handling systems
  • Evaluation of systems performance and usability testing


According to Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary model means
Etymology: Middle French modelle, from Old Italian modello, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin modellus, from Latin modulus small measure, from modus
4:a usually miniature representation of something; also :a pattern of something to be made
7:ARCHETYPE [1:the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies :PROTOTYPE ;also :a perfect example ]
11:a description or analogy used to help visualize something (as an atom) that cannot be directly observed
12:a system of postulates, data, and inferences presented as a mathematical description of an entity or state of affairs

According to Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary system means
1d:a group of devices or artificial objects or an organization forming a network especially for distributing something or serving a common purpose <a telephone system > <a heating system > <a highway system > <a data processing system >

According to Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary function [Etymology: Latin function-, functio performance, from fungi to perform] means
2 the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists : PURPOSE.