Basic Concepts and Techniques

Simulationserves toimitate a realsystemor process.Theact of simulatingasystem generally entails considering a limited number of key characteristics andbehaviors within the physical or abstract system of interest, which is otherwiseinfinitely complex and detailed. A simulation allows us to examine the system’sbehaviorunderdifferentscenarios,whichareassessedbyre-enactmentwithinavirtualcomputational world. Simulation can be used, among other things, to identify bottle-necksinaprocess,provideasafeandrelativelycheaper(intermofbothcostandtime)test bed to evaluate the side effects, and optimize the performance of the system—allbefore realizing these systems in the physical world.Earlyinthetwentiethcentury,modelingandsimulationplayedonlyaminorroleinthe system design process. Having few alternatives, engineers moved straight frompaper designs to production so they could test their designs. For example, whenHowardHugheswantedtobuildanewaircraft,heneverknewifitwouldflyuntilitwas