1,721,572 research outputs found
An overview of the structured modeling technology
No full textMaking rational policy decisions for complex environmental problems typically requires comprehensive analyses of relations between decisions and various measures of the consequences resulting from their implementations. Such relations can be represented by various mathematical models, each having an infinite number of solutions of the decision problem. An efficient model-based decision-making support needs an appropriate modeling technology. This paper first summarizes the characteristics of model-based policy-making support, and uses as a concrete example a complex modeling application developed for supporting international negotiations, which requires various types of analyses of a complex model, as well as interaction with its users. Then it outlines the SMT (Structured Modeling Technology), which has been developed for model-based decision-making support for such problems
Modeling techniques for complex environmental problems
No full textMathematical models can be useful in decision-making processes whenever the amount of data and relations are too complex to be analyzed based solely on experience and/or intuition. Models, when properly developed and maintained, and equipped with proper tools for their analysis can integrate relevant knowledge available from various disciplines and sources. Most environmental decision problems are complex. However, some of them pose additional challenges owing to the large amount of data, the complex relations between variables, the characteristics of the resulting mathematical programming problems, and the requirements for comprehensive problem analyses. Such challenges call for applications of advanced techniques for model generation and analysis. Several of these techniques are outlined in this chapter and illustrated by the RAINS model, a large non-linear model, which has been used in international negotiations about the reduction of air pollution
- …
