SOLVED. Mid-1980s-published YA novel about a boy who creates a simulation of the world, and includes a set of 3 equations that allow time travel. Consequences in the sim are disastrous, and then he finds the equations work in the real world, too. [s]

[The Joy of Erudition]

This book was part of a high school English teacher's private collection, and it must have been published in the mid-1980s because the kind of computers being used in the book were new at the time (8-bit era). I don't remember the title, author, characters' names, or what the book looked like, aside from it probably being paperback.

The main character, a boy possibly in his early teens, creates a simulation of the world, and includes a set of 3 equations that allow time travel. In the sim, people eventually began using time travel to overextend their consumption of resources, ultimately destroying themselves when time caught up with them.

He later condenses the three equations into a single equation, and much later discovers (view spoiler)[that he made an error and the equations could not be simplified in that way. (hide spoiler)]

At some point he finds that the equations are valid in reality, and there is the danger that real people will use them in the same way as the simulated ones. An enemy steals the single-equation version, and all seems lost until (view spoiler)[he finds the aforementioned error in simplifying the three into one. (hide spoiler)]

I believe something in the simulation is called "WORM".

[Ayshe]

The Gadget Factor maybe?

[Andy]

Sounds great. Following this thread so I can read this too.

[The Joy of Erudition]

Thank you, Ayshe! I looked it up, and I recognise the cover now that I see it. The Gadget Factor is indeed the book!

Hope you enjoy it, Andy. :) I'll have to see if it lives up to my memory.