Testing Hypotheses in an Engineering Domain: Combining Static and Dynamic Analysis of Pneumatic Circuits

We want to describe the design of PULSE (Pneumatic Learning and Simulation Environment), an Intelligent Problem Solving Environment (IPSE) for pneumatic circuits based on a cognitive theory of knowledge acquisition (ISP-DLTheory). PULSE offers tasks given as a textual description and a time-discrete kind of a distance-time diagram. It supports unconstrained design of pneumatic circuits. PULSE offers the possibility to test hypotheses about the correctness of student's proposals. This is achieved by combination of static and dynamic analysis. Dynamic analysis is done by model-checking and static analysis by abductive concept-based explanations. The dynamic analysis method is a complete procedure for checking the correctness of full-functioning circuits. But, because model-checking does not support early problem-solving phases (e.g. deliberation) there is a need for static analysis despite the fact that this is not complete.