The effect of time-advance mechanism in modeling and simulation
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Authors
Alrowaie, Ahmed Ali
Subjects
Time-advance mechanism
discrete event simulation
discrete time simulation
time-step
simulation time representation
event-driven
time-driven
fixed increment time
discrete event simulation
discrete time simulation
time-step
simulation time representation
event-driven
time-driven
fixed increment time
Advisors
Buss, Arnold H.
Date of Issue
2011-09
Date
September 2011
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
As the discipline of Modeling and Simulation (MandS) becomes more complex, modelers are faced with mounting challenges to design and analyze simulations that effectively address difficult problems across military, industrial, and societal fields. Understanding the effects of time-advance mechanisms (TAMs) is essential to making advances in the design and use of MandS across a wide variety of domains. We perform a series of empirical studies to characterize and compare the influence of discrete event simulation (DES) and discrete time simulation (DTS) approaches, and describe the effects of changes in time "step" sizes across a number of vital simulation areas including queuing systems, combat systems, and human behavior representations of military significance. Our results illustrate that the choice of TAM can have a significant impact on the behavior of models, the output obtained from simulation tools, and the recommendations that are likely to result. We describe inconsistencies and the emergence of unintended behaviors resulting from the use of different TAM approaches and DTS time "steps." We conclude that the DES approach is more likely to produce trustworthy simulation results for decision-making applications, and that the time step approach carries additional inherent risks that are often invisible to modelers of complex systems.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
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Identifiers
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Sponsors
Funder
Format
xxiv, 292 p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm.
Citation
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.