A kindergarten example of historic modeling
Historic Modeling may be a new concept, but you are probably already familiar with a popular example.
A person is a fact. The person exists. Time may pass, and perhaps she'll die, but the fact that she existed will always be true.
The same is true of an animal.
A person might consume an animal. Usually the reason is sustenance, but we can't be sure. We can document the fact that a person swallowed an animal for a reason.
Any of a number of reasons can be given. Maybe we just don't know. Or maybe the person swallowed the animal to catch an animal that they had previously swallowed. The fact that they swallowed an animal in the past is a prerequisite for the reason to swallow another. The prior swallow must come before the reason.
From model to instance
To demonstrate the model, let's create some instances of these facts.
- There was an old lady.
- There was a fly.
- There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
- There was an old lady who swallowed a spider. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
Continuing in this manner, we construct a graph of fact instances.
This recitation of facts could go on. Until she dies, of course.