AN IDIOSYNCRATIC ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF MATHEMATICAL-MODELS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

被引:12
作者
HALL, CAS
机构
[1] College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse
关键词
D O I
10.1016/0160-4120(91)90164-L
中图分类号
X [环境科学、安全科学];
学科分类号
08 ; 0830 ;
摘要
This paper summarizes a number of studies in two disciplines of particular interest to environmental scientists and managers: academic ecology and academic economics. These studies suggest that too often in the past we have been extremely cavalier in our acceptance and use of some theoretical mathematical models purporting great importance and generality. Of particular concern is that on a number of occasions, data have been presented as substantiation of certain theoretical models while in fact, on closer examination, they are not. In many cases, the use of these formulations have led to unnecessary environmental destruction and illogical economic decisions. I conclude that, although there are many good reasons to continue to formalize our knowledge about systems through explicit model development, we must not continue to confuse mathematical rigor with scientific rigor, and we must subject our theoretical formulations to more rigid tests vis-a-vis nature than we have in the past.
引用
收藏
页码:507 / 517
页数:11
相关论文
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