A Semi-quantitative Physics Compiler
Adam Farquhar, Giorgio Brajnik · 1970
Incomplete information is present in many engineering domains, hindering traditional and non--traditional simulation techniques. This paper describes SQPC (semi--quantitative physics compiler), an implemented approach to modelling and simulation that can predict the behavior of incompletely specified systems, such as those that arise in the water control domain. SQPC is the first system that unifies compositional modeling techniques with semi--quantitative representations. We describe SQPC's foundations, QSIM and QPC, and how its extends them. We demonstrate SQPC using an example from the water supply domain. Content Areas: Qualitative Reasoning, Simulation, Control 1 Introduction Consider the problem of water supply control. A lake has a dam with floodgates that can be opened or closed to regulate the water flow through power generating turbines, the water level (stage) of the lake, and the downstream flow. The goal of a controller is to provide adequate reservoir capacity for pow...