Concurrent system design: Applied mathematics & modeling in software engineering education

A hallmark of engineering design is the use of models to explore the consequences of design decisions. Sometimes these models are physical prototypes or informal drawings, but the sine qua non of contemporary practice is the use of formal, mathematical models of system structure and behavior. Whether circuit models in electrical engineering, heat-transfer models in mechanical engineering, or queuing theory models in industrial engineering, mathematics makes it possible to perform rigorous analysis that is the cornerstone of modern engineering.