Carving Nature/Conceptual Models at Joints Using Thinging Machines

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel approach to conceptual modeling using Thinging Machines (TM), focusing on carving both structural and dynamic aspects of reality to create detailed, diagrammatic models.

Contribution

It presents new methods for applying the carving metaphor to TM-based models, especially in representing dynamic events and their integration into structural diagrams.

Findings

Developed a framework for carving events in TM models

Extended TM modeling to include dynamic event representation

Established a foundation for reality carving with TM diagrams

Abstract

To handle the complexity of our world, the carving metaphor has been used to build a conceptual system of reality. In such an endeavor, we can choose various joints to carve at; that is, we can conceptualize various aspects of reality. Conceptual modeling concerns carving (e.g., categorization) and specifying a conceptual picture of a subject domain. This paper concerns with applying the notion of carving to conceptual models. Specifically, it concerns modeling based on the so-called thinging machine (TM). The central problem is how to carve events when building a TM model. In TMs, an event is defined as a thimac (thing/machine) with a time feature that infuses dynamism into the static thimac, called a region. A region is a diagrammatic description based on five generic actions: create, process, release, transfer, and receive. The paper contains new material about TM modeling and generalization and focuses on the carving problem to include structural carving and dynamic events. The study s results provide a foundation for establishing a new type of reality carving based on the TM model diagrams.