Simulation is an important technique in many areas of science, as a way of modeling, understanding and predicting the behavior of complex systems. Examples include:
The common thread is that the system is complex enough that predicting its behavior or understanding the effects of changing assumptions is difficult without large amounts of bookkeeping. Computers are very good at bookkeeping, and have allowed scientists to study systems that were previously too difficult. Simulation is also used when real-world testing is too expensive, too dangerous, or too time-consuming.
- Physics
- How do particles react to forces and fields?
- Chemistry
- How do proteins fold?
- Biology
- How do organisms respond to internal drives and external environmental influences?
- Computer Science
- How does a computer network handle various kinds of message traffic?
This course studies simulation in a variety of guises. We will do some work with simulation software, including commercial software, building models of systems and investigating their behavior.
The prerequisites of the course are CIS 121 and Math 205 (Statistics). The course is open to all students, particularly science majors. It counts as an elective in the Computer Science major and the Environmental Science concentration.