TITLE: The ASCEND Modeling Environment and Its Implications
AUTHORS: Westerberg, A., Piela, P., McKelvey, R., and Epperly, T.
PUBLICATION: Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Process 
Systems Engineering, I: Design, I.2.1 -- I.2.12.
DATE: 1991
ABSTRACT: This paper describes our work in developing an interactive,
object-oriented mathematical modeling system that supports large-scale
equation-oriented simulation. We believe that, given the current
understanding of this problem equation-oriented simulation is an
inescapably interactive process where problem-solving can best be
characterized as an iterative process of selective refinement and
debugging. For this reason, we have developed a system which presumes
a high level of user-intervention as a determining characteristic. We
describe our system in detail, provide examples of its use and discuss
the research implications of the ASCEND paradigm. In particular, we
argue that conclusions about the efficiency of this approach to
equation-oriented simulation cannot be made without significant study
of its demands on potential end-users.