| Abstract: | A world model being developed by the authors for the Club of Rome is described. It is based on an interaction between man—the decision maker or the policy analyst-and the computer. Such a symbiosis avoids the pitfalls of relying solely on the computer for policy analysis, which by necessity leads to a mechanistic view of the situation; it provides also means for a creative use of computer techniques for extending the logical capability of man in long-term planning and analysis while leaving the ultimate responsibility for prediction, planning and decision making in his hands. The model is multilevel and hierarchical, with the world represented not as an aggregate, but as a number of regions with countries grouped according to economic similarity. |
