Science and Models: Understanding Scientific Representation

Roman Frigg (London School of Economics and Political Science)

Models matter．Scientists spend substantial amounts of time building，testing and revising models，and significant parts of many journal articles are concerned with exploring their features．We begin our discussion by distinguishing between three different kinds of models: representational models，models of theory，and data models．The focus of this lecture are representational models．These models stand for a selected part or aspect of the world，their target system．This raises the question what it means for a model to represent a target system．We introduce the DEKI account of representation to answer this question．We begin by tracing the origins of the DEKI account in the notion of “representation as” due to Goodman and Elgin，and we spell out its core elements: denotation，exemplification，and the difference between a Z-representation and representation of a Z．We then turn to scientific models and introduce the additional elements that are needed to explain how models represent: interpretation，exemplification under an interpretation，and imputation via a key．This leads to the DEKI account of representation，which is named after its core elements: denotation，exemplification，keying-up，and imputation．We then discuss seven open questions for DEKI that can be the focus of future research.
 
‘Understanding Scientific Representation’，keynote lecture of the conference ‘Science and Model’，Hokkaido University，February 2023．

Representation、Denotation、Exemplification、Model、Interpretation、DEKI

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