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The World as a Process: Simulations in the Natural and Social Sciences

Citation: Hartmann, Stephan (1996) The World as a Process: Simulations in the Natural and Social Sciences.

Simulation techniques, especially those implemented on a computer, are frequently employed in natural as well as in social sciences with considerable success. There is mounting evidence that the "model-building era" (J. Niehans) that dominated the theoretical activities of the sciences for a long time is about to be succeeded or at least lastingly supplemented by the "simulation era". But what exactly are models? What is a simulation and what is the difference and the relation between a model and a simulation? These are some of the questions addressed in this article. I maintain that the most significant feature of a simulation is that it allows scientists to imitate one process by another process. "Process" here refers solely to a temporal sequence of states of a system. Given the observation that processes are dealt with by all sorts of scientists, it is apparent that simulations prove to be a powerful interdisciplinarily acknowledged tool. Accordingly, simulations are best suited to investigate the various research strategies in different sciences more carefully. To this end, I focus on the function of simulations in the research process. Finally, a somewhat detailed case-study from nuclear physics is presented which, in my view, illustrates elements of a typical simulation in physics.Article

Additional Information: Citation: In: R. Hegselmann et al. (eds.), "Modelling and Simulation in the Social Sciences from the Philosophy of Science Point of View, Theory and Decision Library", 77-100..
Creators: Hartmann, Stephan and
Subjects: Philosophy
Keywords: Models, Simulations
Divisions: Institute of Philosophy
Collections: London Philosophy Papers
Dates:
  • 1996 (published)
Comments and Suggestions:
Description/Provenance: Submitted by Mark McBride (mark.mcbride@sas.ac.uk) on 2008-03-08T11:18:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 S_Hartmann_Simulations.pdf: 196926 bytes, checksum: 5ac4418c386f36d22542cd7bf2f262ac (MD5); Description/Provenance: Made available in DSpace on 2008-03-08T11:18:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 S_Hartmann_Simulations.pdf: 196926 bytes, checksum: 5ac4418c386f36d22542cd7bf2f262ac (MD5) Previous issue date: 1996. Date accessioned: 2008-03-08T11:18:05Z; Date available: 2008-03-08T11:18:05Z; Date issued: 1996.

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