Modelling and Simulation: Exploring Dynamic System Behaviour

by Louis G. Birta, Gilbert Arbez

Modelling and simulation provides invaluable support for the design and evaluation of dynamic systems, offering multi-faceted tools that are unconstrained by discipline boundaries.This fully updated and expanded new edition of "Modelling and Simulation "presents a practical introduction to the fundamental aspects of modelling and simulation. It provides the necessary foundations both for those wishing to learn about this methodology and also for those who have a need to apply it in their work. Illustrative examples are drawn from projects formulated within the domains of both discrete-event dynamic systems and continuous-time dynamic systems.Topics and presents a project-oriented (i.e., goal-based) perspective on modelling and simulation; describes an updated novel activity based conceptual modelling framework (the ABCmod framework) for discrete-event dynamic systems; includes a new chapter that presents a novel world view, the Activity-Object world view, which eases the translation of a conceptual model specification in the ABCmod framework into a simulation program; contains numerous illustrative examples and useful algorithms, in addition to exercises and projects at the end of most chapters; includes a primer on probability, a concise guide to the GPSS programming environment and an overview of relevant MATLAB features in the appendices; provides supplementary software and teaching support material at an associated website, including lecture slides and a methodology for organizing student projects.Students at the senior undergraduate or junior graduate level will find this hands-on textbook/reference to be an essential guide to the fundamentals of modelling and simulation. It is also ideally suited for self-study by professionals seeking insight into the vast potential of this rapidly evolving problem-solving paradigm.

437 pages, Hardcover

First published August 14, 2007