SIMULATION (Modes of)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3051 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
The French systemist B. WALLISER distinguishes the following modes (1977, p.183-5):
Analogic: a simulation mode consisting in using a mechanical, hydraulic or electronic device whose functional behavior is equivalent to the system's one.
Digital: a mode using a numerical model, generally analytical, and which can be translated into a computer program.
Deterministic: a mode considering variables and interactions as perfectly determined, producing unique output values as a function of inputs.
Operative: a mode consisting in working on the real system, or some similar concrete system in “laboratory conditions”.
Random: a mode introducing randomness, i.e. putting the variables behavior under the influence of a random procedure (“Monte Carlo” method for example).
The value of the results depends of course on the hypotheses used and the model's limitations.