NETWORK THERMODYNAMICS REVISITED

Modeling provides a bridge between the natural sciences (physics, chem istry, biology, and the like) and the axiomatic sciences (mathematics and statistics). Inductively-derived descriptive models map observatio ns of physical processes into mathematical descriptions that can be tr eated as axioms (e.g., the various laws of physics). A synthetic model combines descriptive models of several physical processes with a stru ctural model (representing the interactions of those processes) for th e purpose of deducing or predicting the consequences of interactions. When applied together with elementary thermodynamic principles, circui t theory provides an excellent framework for synthetic modeling.