Abstract

This presentation deals with an approach called DEVS (Discrete Event Specification) issued from Computer Science and applied to the Claude Levi-Strauss ‘s canonical formula as a mean of anthropological investigation.This mathematical formula relates myths to cultural artefacts and is applicable to mental processes. A lot of scholars have proposed a set of models (most of them coming from the mathematical domain) allowing to deal with the Canonical formula. However the two following remarks have led us to propose the modelling of the canonical formula using DEVS (Discrete EVent Specification) formalism: (i) the dynamic inherent to Claude Levi-Strauss‘s formula was difficult to be explicitly represented; (ii) the overall complexity of the formula which allows to deal with one myth but also a set of variations of the same myth and finally the set of all the myths of a given zone has never been completely treated. The purpose of the paper is to define a DEVS modelling which will allow to deal with the morphodynamics of Claude Levi-Strauss‘s canonical formula by incorporating structural changes to the DEVS model. The basics notions concerning both the DEVS formalism and the introduction of dynamical structure changes into this formalism will be detailled. We will test the significance of the proposed modelling through its application to a set of tales issued from the Corsican Mythology.