What is Graphical Modeling?
The idea behind graphical modeling is that one picture is worth a thousand
words. A graphical model, consisting of one or more diagrams, can help us
make sense of the complex world in which we live.
Graphical modeling is a way of representing a part of the real world by
means of symbols. Because parts of the real world may be extremely
complex, we can make sense of a situation by modeling one aspect at a
time; for example, the operation of a factory might be modeled in terms of
its organizational structure in one diagram, its business processes in
other, and so on. Each type of diagram has a defined set of symbols as
well as guidelines for their use.
Important, though, is that the diagrams are all linked and not simply
an isolated representation of one aspect.
To see what we mean, consider this example:
If you use a conventional narrative to describe the flow of data
involved in a complex airline passenger check-in system, the result can be
overwhelming and difficult to comprehend:
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