Using flexible points in a developing simulation of selective dissolution in alloys

Coercion is a semi-automated simulation adaptation technology that uses subject-matter expert insight about model abstraction alternatives, called flexible points, to change the behavior of a simulation. Coercion has been successfully applied to legacy simulations, but never before to a simulation under development. In this paper, we describe coercion of a developing simulation and compare it with our experience coercing legacy simulations. Using a simulation of selective dissolution in alloys as a case study, we observe that applying coercion early in the development process can be very beneficial, aiding subject matter experts in formalizing assumptions and discovering unexpected interactions. We also discuss the development of new coercion tools and a new language (Flex ML) for working with flexible points.