This paper deals with the issue of conceptual models role in capturing semantics and aligning them to serve the remaining development phases of systems design. Specifically, the entity-relationship (ER) model is selected as an example of conceptual representation that serves this purpose in building relational database systems. It is claimed that ER diagrams provide a solid basis for subsequent technical implementation. The ER model appeal relies on its simplicity and its benefit in clarifying the requirements for databases. Nevertheless, some researchers have observed that this reduction of complexity is accompanied by oversimplification and overlooking dynamism. Accordingly, complaints have risen about the lack of direct compatibility between ER modeling and relational model. This paper is an attempt to explore what is beneath this static ER simplicity and its role as a base for subsequent technical implementation. In this undertaking, we use thinging machines (TMs), where modeling is constructed upon a single notion thimac (thing/machine). Thimac constituents are formed from the makeup of five actions, create, process, release, transfer, and receive that inject dynamism alongside with structure. The ER entities, attributes, and relationship are modeled as thimacs. Accordingly, in this paper, ER examples are remodeled in TM while identifying TM portions that correspond to ER components. The resulting TM model insets actions into entities, attributes and relationships. In this case, relationships are the products of creating linking thimacs plus the logic of constructing them. Based on such static/dynamic TM representation, the modeler can produce any level of simplification, including the original ER model. In conclusion, results indicated that the TM models facilitate multilevel simplicity and viable direct compatibility with the relational database model.

翻译：本文探讨了概念模型在捕获语义并使其服务于系统设计后续开发阶段中的作用。具体而言，实体-关系（ER）模型被选作概念表示的一个范例，其在构建关系数据库系统中正发挥此作用。研究主张ER图为后续技术实现提供了坚实基础。ER模型的吸引力源于其简洁性及在明确数据库需求方面的优势。然而，部分研究者指出，这种复杂性的简化伴随着过度简单化及对动态性的忽视。因此，出现了关于ER建模与关系模型之间缺乏直接兼容性的质疑。本文试图探究这种静态ER简约性背后隐藏的实质及其作为后续技术实现基础的作用。在此研究中，我们采用思维机器（TM）建模方法，该方法基于单一概念"thimac"（事物/机器）构建模型。thimac的构成要素源自五种基本动作：创建、处理、释放、转移和接收，这些动作在构建结构的同时注入了动态性。ER模型中的实体、属性及关系均被建模为thimac。据此，本文通过将ER示例重构为TM模型，并识别与ER组件对应的TM构成部分。最终得到的TM模型将动作机制嵌入实体、属性及关系中。在此框架下，关系成为创建链接thimac及其构建逻辑的产物。基于这种静态/动态并存的TM表示方法，建模者能够生成任意简化程度的模型，包括原始ER模型。研究结论表明，TM模型支持多层次简化，并能实现与关系数据库模型的有效直接兼容。