Towards Semi-Automatic Model Specification.

This paper presents a natural language understanding (NLU) approach to transition a description of a phenomenon towards a simulation specification. As multidisciplinary endeavors using simulations increase, the need for teams to better communicate and make non-modelers active participants on the process increases. We focus on semi-automating the model conceptualization process towards the creation of a specification as it is one of the most challenging steps in collaborations. The approach relies on NLU processing of narratives, create a model that captures concepts and relationships, and finally provide a specification of a simulation implementation. An initial definition set and grammatical rules are proposed to formalize this process. These are followed by a Design of Experiments (DoE) to test the NLU model accuracy and a test case that generates Agent-Based Model (ABM) conceptualizations and specifications. We provide a discussion on the advantages and limitations of using NLUs for model conceptualization and specification processes.