Notes on Symbol Dynamics

Abstract

This paper introduces a new formulation of dynamic systems that subsumes both the classical discrete snd differential equation models as well as current trends in hybrid models. The key idea is to express the system dynamics using symbols to which the notion of time is explicitly attached. The state of the system is described using symbols which are active for a defined period of time. The system dynamics is then represented as relations between the symbolic representations . We describe the notation and give several examples of its use. (Also cross-referenced as UMIACS-TR-95-15)