Toward Interpretation of Complex Structural Models

The interpretation of complex structural models is facilitated by a variety of operations that can be carried out by a computer. Several of these involve partitions on a reachability matrix, which describes a contextual relation among the elements of the system under study. When partitioning of the reachability matrix in various ways does not permit adequate interpretation, cycles are usually the source of difficulty. A weighting matrix applied to the elements of a maximal cycle set permits a set of digraphs to be developed, which allows for more detailed interpretation of a cycle. When still further development is needed, the maximal cycle sets can be identified and placed in a hierarchy based on an inclusion relation. This hierarchy suggests a natural order of study of the system proceeding from the least complex maximal cycle sets to the most complex sets.