Towards Inconsistency Tolerance by Quantification of Semantic Inconsistencies

Due to the increase of their complexity, currently engineered systems cannot be developed by one individual, but are a product of a collaboration between multiple stakeholders who develop the system from different domain-specific views. Inconsistencies between views, however, hinder collaboration and therefore, must be managed. Since the encountered inconsistencies may potentially disappear as the natural consequence of a design workflow, tolerating them to a given extent may be desirable and can lead to a more efficient collaboration. A key to reason about tolerance is the quantification of the impact of single inconsistencies on the overall system design. In this paper we present a quantification model for semantic inconsistencies in discrete and continuous systems. We investigate characteristic behavioral patterns of inconsistencies based on this model and identify the links with various forms of tolerance. Finally, we discuss the directions of further expanding the approach required for a comprehensive inconsistency tolerance technique.