Generalised Loop Deactivation Method: An Extension of Ford’s Behavioural Approach to Loop Dominance Analysis and its Applications

This paper presents progress on the conceptualisation and implementation of an extended version of Ford’s behavioural approach (Ford 1999) to feedback loop dominance analysis. The need for the extension of the original method is discussed, as are the methodological consequences of changing and implementing the method. The changed method presented here is refered to as the Generalised Loop Deactivation Method. The automated version of this method is tested on three models. The first of these is used to check the results of the method, the second to discuss several methodological changes and the third model is used to demonstrate how to detect superfluous structure in a larger model. Significant findings include recommendations on how to eliminate loops from a model, a fully automated version of the loop deactivation method and an extension of its use into model simplification, moving the method beyond loop dominance analysis