The Epistemology Of Computer Simulation (EOCS) has developed as an epistemological and methodological analysis of simulative sciences using quantitative computational models to represent and predict empirical phenomena of interest. In this paper, Executable Cell Biology (ECB) and Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) are examined to show how one may take advantage of qualitative computational models to evaluate reachability properties of reactive systems. In contrast to the thesis, advanced by EOCS, that computational models are not adequate representations of the simulated empirical systems, it is shown how the representational adequacy of qualitative models is essential to evaluate reachability properties. Justification theory, if not playing an essential role in EOCS, is exhibited to be involved in the process of advancing and corroborating model-based hypotheses about empirical systems in ECB and ABM. Finally, the practice of evaluating model-based hypothesis by testing the simulated systems is shown to constitute an argument in favour of the thesis that computer simulations in ECB and ABM can be put on a par with scientific experiments.

中文翻译：

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计算模拟科学中的定性模型：表示、确认、实验

计算机模拟认识论 (EOCS) 已发展成为模拟科学的认识论和方法论分析，使用定量计算模型来表示和预测感兴趣的经验现象。在本文中，对可执行细胞生物学 (ECB) 和基于代理的建模 (ABM) 进行了检查，以展示如何利用定性计算模型来评估反应系统的可达性属性。与 EOCS 提出的计算模型不能充分表示模拟经验系统的论文相反，本文展示了定性模型的充分表示如何对评估可达性属性至关重要。正当化理论，如果在 EOCS 中没有发挥重要作用，被证明参与了推进和证实有关 ECB 和 ABM 经验系统的基于模型的假设的过程。最后，通过测试模拟系统来评估基于模型的假设的实践证明构成了一个论点，支持 ECB 和 ABM 中的计算机模拟可以与科学实验相提并论的论点。