Use and Extension of an Automatic Program Generator for Model Building In Social and Engineering Sciences.

The growth in size and complexity of computer models used in economic and engineering studies has motivated research into the use of automatic program generation techniques as a cost effective alternative. This dissertation describes this new approach to the development of software needed at different stages of model building and simulation applications. It uses the computer itself to automatically generate ad-hoc application programs, based on a description given in a high level non-procedural Module Description Language MODEL. The general objectives of this work were to use and extend the latest automatic program generation techniques in order to reduce the cost and computer oriented skills required to employ the modeling methodology. In doing so, a number of novel and useful features have been produced that contribute to a broader class of applications in which knowledge of mathematics and logic becomes sufficient, as opposed to the current demand of computer programming knowledge as well. New algorithms and techniques were also developed that enhanced the automatic generation of computer programs.