Understanding simulation

Simulation is the imitation of some operation or process in the real world over time. Simulations are built based on two main core elements:

• Model – The model describes the operation, process, or system with its characteristics and behaviors. An example would be a machine as the system we want to simulate. Characteristics would be the parameters that can be adjusted on the machine. Behaviors describe how the machine acts when changing these parameters.
• Simulation – Simulation describes the evolution of the model over time. Taking the same example as above with a machine as a system, simulation would define how the outcome parameters of the machine would change during a certain period. These outcome parameters will specify how the machine is operating. Think of how the heating or rotation of a machine evolves over time when setting certain characteristics in the model.

There are so many examples of simulation in our world. We...