Modeling and Simulation

Abstract

A model represents something real or abstract. From our birth we build mental models of things we encounter in our daily lives. Children play with toys that are models of various real objects. In our childhood, we enjoyed building models of various objects using Lego or Erector sets. Today, it is within our grasp to build interactive models on our personal computers that can simulate problems we encounter in our personal and professional lives. An interactive model helps us to understand the working of a system better than is possible with words or illustrations and is thus worth a thousand pictures. Interactive models help us to build better systems or to optimize the existing ones.

This chapter discusses the importance of modeling and simulation for understanding system behaviors. It illustrates various types of models, such as mental, conceptual, and those that are interactive. It describes various software packages for modeling and simulation that are available in the market. It describes the simulation of various systems, such as first-order lag, auto inventory in a dealership, and youth violence. It discusses artificial neural network for model building and the various uses of modeling and simulation.