Exam 13: Simulation and Modeling

Computational models are an excellent way to design new systems but not to improve the behavior of existing systems.

Virtually every branch of science and engineering makes use of ____________________.

In a(n) technical simulation, a physical system is modeled as a set of mathematical equations and/or algorithmic procedures that capture the fundamental characteristics and behavior of a system. _________________________

A model must be an accurate representation of the physical system, but at the same time, it must be simple enough to implement as a program or set of equations and solve on a computer in a reasonable amount of time.

In a(n) ____________________ event simulation, we do not model time as continuous.

If we know the ____, then the computer can generate a sequence of random numbers that follows this pattern, and this sequence accurately models the time it takes to serve customers in real life.

One way to discover a pattern is to know something about the statistical distribution of quantities that behave in a similar way. _________________________

What is the difference between computer graphics and scientific visualization?

____ consists of looking for ways to convert the data to other forms or to different units that will make the display easier to understand and interpret.

The dictum ____ says that the results you get out of a simulation model are only as good as the data and the assumptions put into the model.

Interpreting a(n) ____________________ is a great deal easier than working directly with raw numerical data.

Modeling is not quite as simple in practice as it is in theory. What are the issues that must be addressed and solved to make the technique of building simulations workable? Use the example of Galileo's 16ᵗʰ-century experiment dropping balls from the Tower of Pisa within your answer.

The field of ____ is concerned with the issue of how to visualize data in a way that highlights its important characteristics and simplifies its interpretation.

The throw of the dice or the drawing of a card is known as ____ behavior.

If we are not happy with our original design using a(n) ____, we only need to change some numerical parameters and rerun the model.

If a value in a simulation model behaves in a random fashion, but follows a statistical distribution pattern, what are the implications of this?

It is certainly a lot easier to work with a numerical description of data than a visualization.

The clever use of visual enhancements such as ____ can make an enormous difference in how easy or hard it is to interpret the output of a computer model.

With what is the field of scientific visualization concerned?

In many models, ____ (whether continuous or discrete) is one of the key variables.