Simulation & Models : Limitations

No simulation will copy every feature of a real life system. The rules that the simulation's designer incorporates into the simulation will not perfectly copy every aspect of the real system. This is because :

• Incorporating all the factors that affect a simulation would make it very difficult and expensive to produce the simulation. The number of variables and rules involved would be massive.

• Some situations that could occur in real life are so unlikely to happen that the designer of a simulation would probably not think of including the situations in the simulation.

• Mistakes can be made. Relationships in real life systems can be inaccurately observed or incorrectly programmed into a simulated model.

This limits the usefulness of the results produced by a simulation. A simulation is only as reliable as the rules that it is based on. Sometimes a simulation is used initially but the results of the simulation are then tested by using the real system.

GCSE ICT Companion 04 - (C) P Meakin 2004