ABSTRACT
Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) refers to the systematic applications of graph theory notions such that there results a directed graph representation of complex patterns of a particular contextual relationship among a set of elements. It transforms unclear poorly articulated mental models of systems into visible and well-defined models. The ISM process transforms unclear, poorly articulated mental models of systems into visible, well-defined models useful for many purposes. The underlying theory for ISM is presented and discussed by nets, relations, and digraphs. ISM has its basis in mathematics, particularly in graph theory, set theory, mathematical logic, and matrix theory. An individual often encounters complexity while dealing with systems. This complexity exists because of a large number of elements involved and the large number of interactions among them. These elements and interactions may be of any form, they may be the elements of a large organization or components of a large technical system.
