ABSTRACT
A dictionary definition states that a model is “a miniature representation of something; a pattern of something to be made; an example for imitation or emulation; a description or analogy used to help visualize something (e.g., an atom) that cannot be directly observed; a system of postulates, data, and inferences presented as a mathematical description of an entity or state of affairs.” This definition suggests that modeling is an activity, a cognitive activity in which one thinks about and makes models to describe how devices or objects of interest behave. Since there are many ways in which devices and behaviors can be described-words, drawings or sketches, physical models, computer programs, or mathematical formulas-it is worth refining the dictionary definition for the present purposes to define a mathematical model as a representation in mathematical terms of the behavior of real devices and objects.
