QUALITATIVE SYNTHESIS OF CONFIGURATIONS FOR TWO-TERMINAL SYSTEMS BASED ON DESIRED BEHAVIOR

Abstract

In design, inferring structure from function is a combinatorial generate-and-test problem. Existing methods use prestored domain-specific partial configurations to constrain the generator. We have found that for certain types of economic and physical systems consisting of two-terminal components connected in parallel, it is fruitful to specify function in terms of desired behavior, and to identify sets of components whose resultant behavior matches that desired behavior. In this paper, we present two synthesis operators called stretch and steepen that operate on qualitatively specified piecewise linear functions that characterize the behavior of components. We are currently applying this model to the domain of financial hedging, where behaviors of the components (stocks, bonds, options, etc.) are specified in terms of two-dimensional piecewise linear relationships, and the goal is to synthesize these to produce a constrained behavior in response to uncontrollable events.