A Net-Based Formal Framework for Causal Loop Diagrams

Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) are a modeling tool employed in Business Dynamics. Such a diagram consists of many tightly coupled loops to capture dynamic behavior of systems. Intuitive operational semantics, describing how changes are propagated among the loops, provide a basis for model animation or manual inspection. They are, however, not precise enough to enable automated property checking. This paper proposes and defines a net-based formal framework, showing true concurrency, so that automated analysis is made possible.