ABSTRACT
Simulation is the process of studying the behavior of an existing or proposed system by observing the behavior of a model representing the system. Simulation is the imitation of a real system or process operating over a period of time. By simulating a system, we may be able to make observations of the performance of an existing system, hypothesize modifications to an existing system, or even determine the operating characteristics of a nonexistent system. Through simulation it is possible to experiment with the operation of a system in ways that would be too costly or dangerous or otherwise infeasible to perform on the actual system itself. This chapter introduces simulation models and describes how they can be used in analyzing and predicting the performance of systems under varying circumstances.
