5 Some future directions for economic modelling

5.2 Relatively new (non-numerical) techniques

1. Formal logics, which allow for a much greater expressivity, especially when one is dealing with qualitative as well as quantitative properties. For example in [14] the assumptions behind some organisational theories are examined. Although these are difficult to use, computer based tools to aid in their use are becoming increasingly accessible for the normal user (e.g. SDML [7]).

2. Network based models can be used to capture topological properties in a flexible way, for example in [16] we produced a network model of R&D development which captured some of the context-sensitive nature of the dependencies between technologies.

3. Abstract formal languages, can used to capture generative and modelling behaviours using artificial grammars. I am not aware of an application in economics, but this has been applied to chaotic process [4] and in biology [10].

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