Chapter 5

Question 1

Representation

Answer 1

Something is a representation of something else if it stands in for that thing, meaning we use or investigate that thing instead of what we are really interested in

Question 2

Target

Answer 2

A target is that which a model aims to represent

Question 3

Idealization

Answer 3

The fact that a model is an idealization of its target means that it does not have all the properties that the target has, and vice versa

Question 4

Purpose dependence

Answer 4

A model can only be justified on the basis of how useful it is for fulfilling a certain purpose

Question 5

Analogy

Answer 5

Inference by analogy is to state that a conclusion in one case applies to another case due to there being relevant similarities between the cases

Question 6

Positive analogy

Answer 6

Similarity between model and target

Question 7

Negative analogy

Answer 7

Dissimilarity between model and target

Question 8

Neutral analogy

Answer 8

Property of model, whose occurrence in target is not known

Question 9

Epistemic virtues of models

Answer 9

Types of properties of models that determine the quality of a model, given a specific purpose

Question 10

Similarity

Answer 10

The degree to which the model has several properties which the target also has (there are multiple positive analogies) that are relevant for the modelling purpose

Question 11

Robustness

Answer 11

A model is robust with respect to an assumption if changing this assumption does not change the model result

Question 12

Parameter precision

Answer 12

One model has higher parameter precision than another model, if the specifications of the parameters of the first model implies the parameter specifications of the second

Question 13

Simplicity

Answer 13

One model is simpler than another model if it contains less parameters than another model

Question 14

Tractability

Answer 14

A model is computationally tractable only if its result can be computed in polynomial time. A model is analytically tractable only if the model result can be obtained through valid deduction, from the model assumptions alone. A model is theoretically tractable only if the model is either computationally or analytically tractable, and some of the necessary computational or deductive steps are justified with reference to a background theory

Question 15

Transparency

Answer 15

A model is epistemically transparent if the model user is cognitively capable of understanding how the model result is produced

Question 16

Mirror models

Answer 16

A model with high similarity to target

Question 17

Isolation model

Answer 17

A model with high simplicity