Models and reality : some reflections on the art and science of simulation

Abstract

This paper presents a philosophical overview of simulation, with an emphasis on the nature of the relation between models and the systems they repre sent. Model-making is shown to be an essential feature of human thinking. The "abstraction ladder," which leads from observations of reality to mathemat ical models, is reviewed from a semantic viewpoint. The problem of validation of the results of a simula tion is then outlined. The paper concludes with some philosophical observations on the relation of model and reality.