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Validation of Simulation Models

Cor van Dijkum, Dorien DeTombe, E. van Kuijck (Editors)

Computer models are more and more used in our society to get grasp on difficult scientific and social problems. In science computer models enable us to understand phenomena's, such as turbulence in fluid, that were never understood before. For society threats to mankind, such as climate change or limits to the availability of food and unpolluted fresh water, can be explored with computer models. Science is necessary to accumulate the insight needed for these models. On the other hand scientists can not work without computer models to handle their complex knowledge.

However, with those models old questions are back on the stage: how valid is the knowledge provided by the models ? How are the facts of the world related to those models ? How sound is the logical reasoning in the models ? There is not an easy answer to such questions. The logic of science which seems adequate for a number of old(fashioned) ways to describe and explain the world, shows its limitations when it comes to the surprises of computermodels.

In this book these questions are explored in a (methodo)logic way. Concrete examples, from the fields of Environmental Sciences, Education, Policy Analysis, Psycho-Analysis and Statistics, are starting points. In a challenging way it is tried to overcome the limitations of classical patterns of thought and to arrive at new rules for the logic of validation.

Content:

Preface

Cor van Dijkum, Dorien DeTombe, Etzel van Kuijk

Validation of simulation models in the social sciences

Cor van Dijkum and Etzel van Kuijk

The validation of metaphors

Ferdinand Verhulst

lobal modeling: managing uncertainty, complexity

and incomplete information

Marco Janssen and Bert de Vries

Graph theoretical analysis as tool for validation and conceptualization

Cornelis Hoede and Helene Margot Weening

Simulation of educational effects

Henny de Vos en Roel J. Bosker

Statistical validation of simulation, including case studies

Jack P.C. Kleijnen

Outside validity of research on complex societal problems

Dorien DeTombe

About the authors

Price: f 20,-

To order at:

SISWO

Netherlands Universities Institute for Coordination

of Research in Social Sciences.

Plantage Muidergracht 4,

1018 TV Amsterdam

tel: 31 20 5270600 / fax: 31 20 6229430

Validation of Simulation Models

Cor van Dijkum, Dorien DeTombe, Etzel van Kuijk (Eds.)

Amsterdam: SISWO, 1998 / 1999

ISBN-90-676-152-2

Keywords: models, simulation, validation, multi-disciplinarity, complex problems

A publication in coöperation with the Dutch researchgroup SIMULATION of the NOSMO (Dutch research group on methodology)