RESUMEN

In the last decade, a signed diagram, often called the Causal Loop Diagram, has become a premodeling technique in the simulation of socioeconomic systems. This research expresses qualitative and quantitative properties of this diagram. Two different versions of causal maps are presented. The first one corresponds to the well-known Causal Loop Diagram, which depicts the interactions between the changes in the state variables. The second one has been formalized from individual components encountered in biological and chemical applications. This second diagram is called the Detailed Causal Loop Diagram, and it depicts the interactions between the levels or storages in the systems. The structures of both kinds of diagrams and the transformation of one into the other are studied. Moreover, mathematical transformations to represent their properties are introduced.

Qualitative principles of the causal diagrams relating dynamic properties such as stability, oscillations, controllability, and observability, are introduced.

Computer simulations of both causal diagrams are performed. The programs are written in DYNAMO, using two special FORTRAN functions called CAUSE and CAUSA. Documentation and listing of the computer programs and functions is provided.