Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
491883 Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory 2008 14 Pages PDF
Abstract

Particle systems are used for simulating non-linear dynamics of complex systems. They are computationally attractive, because the models are simple difference equations. The difference equations, however, constitute a closed system lacking scalability and intentionality; it is hard to “reverse engineer” the equations, to understand the relations of the variables and coefficients to the dynamics displayed by the simulation. Consequently, much of the modeling work goes into finding workarounds. In this paper, we study a potential solution. As the main contribution, we formalize particle system computations as mathematical operator networks, to gain intentionality and modularity. Operators also support the inclusion of processes outside the mathematical domain of difference equations. We illustrate the use of operator networks by simulating the construction and dynamics of an hourglass.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Computer Science Computer Science (General)
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