In autumn 1999, with start on September 15 at 10.15, I will give a course on

Simulation Modeling

Simulation is a general purpose problem solving tool. When the construction of a mathematically solvable model of the problem considered is not possible a model describing the working of the system is constructed. The execution of such a model is a simulation and by observing the system entities during the execution, data for solving the original problem is obtained.

Simulation modeling requires that parallel processes and their interactions are described. The modeling approach taken here is to use an extension of Petri Nets, Simulation Nets. In addition to be ideal for describing concurrent processes Simulation Nets like Petri Nets are theoretically based and facilitate analysis of the model constructed, a feature not present in other less formal approaches.

A tool, SimNet, capable of executing models given in the form of Simulation Nets will be used. This tool makes it possible to simulate without tedious programming which means that the students can perform their first simulations after a few lectures.

As a general purpose language for simulation design the first object oriented language, Simula, will be used. To some extent the use of GPSS and C++ will also be demonstrated.

Kreutzer, W., System Simulation - programming styles and languages, Addison-Wesley, Wokingham, England, 1986.

Law, A. M. and W. D. Kelton, Simulation Modelling & Analysis, McGraw Hill, London, 2nd ed. 1991.

Ståhl, I., Introduction to Simulation with GPSS, Prentice-Hall, 1990.

Törn, A., Simulation Modelling, Reports on CS and Math., Ser. B, No.12, Åbo Akademi University, 1991.

Törn, A., Lexture notes for a course on Petri Nets