The Semantics of Models: A Semiotic Philosophy of Science Approach

This paper addresses a central problem in model theory: the semantics of models. On the basis of determining models as iconic signs, we put forward an integrative semiotic philosophy of science approach that sheds light on two pivotal aspects of models: 1) Models are determined by the semantic structure of a theory as well as by a set of specific attributes of the original; and 2) the representational relation between model and original is based upon a mapping between selected properties of the model and selected properties of its original. Subsequently, these results are refined by integrating a structuralist linguistic perspective that shows that modeling essentially avails itself on the semantic structure of language systems.

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