Observations on Computer Simulation in the Civilian Concerns of Government

Simulation is a tool made practical by the capabilities of the modern highspeed computer, a tool which may be used by enlightened decision makers in the public and private sectors to gain insights into very complex situations. The advent of meaningful simulation models to help understand and contemplate large complex systems is relatively new.

At present there is no universal agreement on the meaning of the term. In my own view, simulation implies a concern with dynamics—that is, the use of any mathematical or physical model which may be moved through time.

Simulation may or may not involve the use of Monte Carlo techniques, but the prime thought here is that models are time dependent and may be used to study the effects of decisions made in one time period on behavior in subsequent time periods.