Modeling System Events and Negative Events Using Thinging Machines Based on Lupascian Logic

Abstract

This paper is an exploration of the ontological foundations of conceptual modeling that addresses the concept of events and related notions. Development models that convey how things change over space and time demand continued attention in systems and software engineering. In this context, foundational matters in modeling systems include the definition of an event, the types of events, and the kinds of relationships that can be recognized among events. Although a broad spectrum of research of such issues exists in various fields of study, events have extensive applicability in computing (e.g., event-driven programming, architecture, data modeling, automation, and surveillance). While these computing notions are diverse, their event-based nature lets us apply many of the same software engineering techniques to all of them. In this paper, the focus is on addressing the dynamic concepts of system events and negative events. Specifically, we concentrate on what computer scientists would refer to as an event grammar and event calculus. Analyzing the concept of event would further the understanding of the event notion and provide a sound foundation for improving the theory and practice of conceptual modeling. An event in computer science has many definitions (e.g., anything that happens, changes in the properties of objects, and the occurrence of and transition between states). This paper is based upon a different conceptualization using thinging machines and Lupascian logic to define negative events. An event is defined as a time penetrated domain s region, which is described in terms of things and five-action machines. Accordingly, samples from event grammar and event calculus are remodeled and analyzed in terms of this definition. The results point to an enriched modeling technique with an enhanced conceptualization of events that can benefit behavior modeling in systems.