The use of formal models in the design of interactive case memory systems

The thesis: generic formal modelling frameworks can be used to encapsulate knowledge about human computer interaction with a particular class of system, namely interactive case memories (ICMs). A generic modelling framework can be used to ensure that ICMs developed exhibit desirable interaction properties, and can be re-used for the development of multiple systems. Some formal modelling frameworks that have been advocated to support the development of interactive systems have aimed to model a very wide class of systems at a highly abstract level. These frameworks are limited in their ability to express important properties that apply to particular systems, and may be open to multiple interpretations when applied to individual systems. Other frameworks have emphasised the specification of individual systems. Such single specifications provide limited re-usability. In this thesis I develop a generic framework to support the development of ICMs. To develop the framework I propose an abstract framework to describe the way a case memory system (CMS) stores and retrieves cases. This framework views the CMS as a function that takes as input a problem statement and store of cases and returns an ordering over the stored cases. From this viewpoint an ICM can be seen as a system in which the user manipulates the value problem statement and monitors changes to the associated case ordering. By expressing important interaction properties in the context of this generic framework I provide a method of encapsulating knowledge about human-computer interaction with ICMs that can be re-used in the development of multiple systems. Because the framework refers explicitly to the main components of an ICM it is not open to multiple competing interpretations.