Modeling and Simulation as a Theory Building Paradigm

This chapter makes the case that theory can be captured as a model, which can be implemented as a simulation. This allows composing and recomposing theory components to process new theory out of existing theory. While current modeling and simulation applications focus on simulation as a computational activity that algorithmically produces output data based on valid input data, therefore providing information, the proposed approach utilizes the information and combines the application thereof, which provides knowledge. Relevant work is evaluated, but existing approaches neither us the conceptualization as the central component nor are they applied to ill-defined problems, thus the proposed approach is innovative and closes existing gaps. To show the feasibility and validity, theory is represented as axiomatic structures that can be executed under bounded conditions. As such, the chapter presents a methodological approach for building theory out of existing theory using modeling and simulation.