Simulation and Reduced Complexity Model |1

Ashique V.V
Ph.D. Geography
Department of Geography
Central University of Tamilnadu

Simulation and Reduced Complexity Model

1. Introduction

The 20th century was certainly a time when we witnessed technological advances

on a number of fronts including agriculture, transportation, communication, computation,

energy, medicine and the like. However, the 21st century is one of complexity in which the

interaction between these technologies, human behaviour and the forces of nature form new

and evolving systems. As Stephen Hawking said, 21st century will be the century of

complexity.

Modelling is a way to create a virtual representation of a real-world system that

includes software and hardware. If the software components of this model are driven by

mathematical relationships, you can simulate this virtual representation under a wide range of

conditions to see how it behaves.

Modelling and simulation are especially valuable for testing conditions that might

be difficult to reproduce with hardware prototypes alone, especially in the early phase of the

design process when hardware may not be available. Iterating between modelling and

simulation can improve the quality of the system design early, thereby reducing the number of

errors found later in the design process.

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2. Simulation and Modelling

The terms “Modelling” and “Simulation” are sometimes used interchangeably. In

reality, they are distinct, though related, terms. Modelling is the representation of an object or

phenomena, which is used by simulation. Models may be mathematical, physical, or logical

representations of a system, entity, phenomenon, or process. Models are, in turn, used by

simulation to predict a future state. Modelling refers to the process of creating models.

Examples of models: Mathematical model of sensor response, Computer aided design model

of an armoured vehicle or a helicopter or a human being, etc.

Simulation is a representation of the functioning of a system or process. Through

simulation, a model may be implanted with unlimited variations, producing complex scenarios.

These capabilities allow analysis and understanding of how individual elements interact and

affect the simulated environment. Example of a simulation: Three-dimensional model of an

armoured vehicle which moves across a model of terrain over time. The tool that executes the

simulation is a "simulator".

Types of Simulation:

• Live Simulations - Real people operate in the real world.

• Virtual Simulations - Real people operate in synthetic worlds.

• Constructive Simulations - Simulated entities operate in synthetic worlds.

• Undefined Simulations - Simulated entities are subjected to real world environments.

Applications of Simulation:

• Experimentation

• Operational Planning

• Training
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• Missions Rehearsal

• Support to the Conduct of Operations

• Life Cycle Management, etc.

Generally, people most readily associate Modelling and Simulation (M&S) with

training. M&S tools are used to train astronauts, commercial and military aircrews, nuclear

power specialists, healthcare workers, and maintenance specialists, just to name a few

professionals. M&S provides rehearsal environments for civilian first responder and military

personnel. Repeated rehearsal of procedures improves performance, saving countless lives as

well as aircraft, ships, and other vehicles. Also, training individuals before allowing them to

use actual equipment improves the safety of the individuals undergoing training, the

participants around them and the safety of the actual equipment.

While training is perhaps the most visible of M&S applications, M&S can be used

to study any system or process. This ranges from human bodily systems and transportation

networks, to vehicle systems, communities, and product design or manufacturing. M&S tools

and processes help solve pressing issues across government, industry, and academic domains.

M&S can answer “what if” questions or provide a robust experimentation or training

environments that may not be otherwise realised.

2.1 Fundamental Concepts in Simulation

Learning the language is a key task facing everyone who is entering any new field

of work, especially one such as simulation, which has both technical and educational aspects.

When we are engaged in learning through use of a simulation, we might find towards in any

one of a number of quite different contexts. In one setting we may be taking part in a face-to-

face role-based activity, drawing on individual interpretations of some aspect of real-world

conditions. In another setting we might have a role as a member of a team that has the task of
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using a technical simulation to create learning environments, using data obtained through

analysis of the real world. Both of these are using ‘simulation’ to create a learning context and

each uses the same core essentials to do so. However, the visible setting may be quite different

and reliance on different technologies may even obscure the similarities between them.

2.2 Designing Instructional/Learning Components of Simulation

The initial design basis for all training/learning involving any use of a simulation

is instructional design. The process does not begin with the technology, although sometimes it

is hard to convince clients that the technology to be used is not the beginning point. In the past

sixty years there have been tremendous advances in instructional design and simulation

development and both of these must be taken advantage of as much as possible to create truly

engaging learning environments. All sectors of the simulation design and construction process

are becoming more aware of this as divisions separating engineering, learning and support are

dissolving in the face of the need to address ever more complex learning outcomes through

integrated use of face to face and technical simulation.

2.3 VV&A - Verification, Validation and Accreditation

Verification, Validation and Accreditation is a trio of concepts vital to assuring that

any simulation meets relevant quality control criteria. They are used together as a means of

putting a simulation ‘through its paces’ prior to committing it to use.

Standards for simulation and modelling are essential to tasks such as the conduct

of VV&A and simulator interoperability. But they can impose costs and limit the capability of

simulation, so should only be used where the benefits outweigh the costs.
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3. Reduced Complexity Models

What can be done to reduce complexity, that is, to make system behaviour more

predictable? While some such as A. Berthoz have proposed a set of organizing principles based

on biological systems for “simplexity”, the means to provide complementary relationships

between simplicity and complexity. There are four possible approaches to reduce complexity,

they are: reduction, homogenization, abstraction, and transformation.

3.1 Reduction

Reduction is the process of removing superfluous elements from the system, either

in practice or in implementation, and/or limiting the context under which the system is allowed

to operate and reducing the state space to something which is understood. For example, when

using a subway system, most riders are interested in how to travel from point A to point B,

making the necessary connections. A map that provides just this amount of information, by

eliminating elements that are not relevant to understanding this particular behaviour. It should

be noted that reductionism in this case does not eliminate structure, but rather makes the

essential structure much more visible.

Reduction in context can be used when a system is moving into a regime in which

its operation is not valid, such that steps are taken to move it back into a known space. For

example, an integrated circuit’s operation is well understood within certain temperature,

voltage and frequency constraints and it is not allowed to operate outside this regime where it

becomes far less predictable and perhaps chaotic. Thus, a potentially complex system is

transformed into one that while being complicated is highly predictable.

3.2 Homogenization

Homogenization is somewhat related to reduction in that it provides the possibility

to reduce the types of elements or agents by classifying them into sets that are relatively
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indistinguishable or homogeneous. This is the technique that allows statistics to be applied to

situations rather than being forced to understand the behaviour of each element. For example,

it would be intractable to predict the behaviour of more than a few molecules of air, yet the

aggregate behaviour of 1027 such molecules, namely pressure, volume and temperature, can

be predicted with a simple ideal gas model if each molecule is treated as being

indistinguishable. One should remember that if the behaviour of interest is that of the individual

molecules, then the system is highly unpredictable, and highly complex. Hence, the same

system can be highly complex or very simple depending on the type of behaviour of interest

and the context of operation.

One must be very careful when applying the technique of homogenization not to

overly simplify the model of the system to the point where it is not useful in predicting the

desired behaviour. For example, one part in a billion can make a big difference in certain

reactions. In semiconductors doping levels on the order of 1 part per 100,000 can increase the

conductivity of a device by a factor of 10,000 times. There are many systems in which a small

amount of inhomogeneity can create starkly different behaviours. For example, pure water in

isolation at 1 atmosphere pressure will freeze at -42 Degree Celsius or even as low as -108

Degree Celsius if cooled sufficiently quickly, while water in the presence of dust or other

impurities that can serve as crystallization sites freezes at the familiar 0 Degree Celsius.

3.3 Abstraction

Abstraction is essentially the ability to decouple elements in a system and transform

it from a woven to a folded statement in which interactions are restricted. A good example for

this part is language and thought: the more abstraction we enter in our language by

encapsulating a notion into a word, the more we will be able to deal with the complexities of a

conceptual problem. In fact, the creation of jargon in a scientific field, is a form of abstraction
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that serves to reduce the complexity of that field. Mead and Conway’s book, Introduction to

VLSI Systems, published in 1980 codified this layering and helped to transform complexity to

complication in VLSI systems. This success has allowed the creation of incredibly complicated

systems with deterministic behaviour which has driven software complexity and networking

which has driven us to very complex systems.

It is also interesting to note that abstraction reduces the complexity at the existing

boundary of a system, but it also creates a new level of complexity. In fact, this is one of the

main mechanisms behind the progress of various fields in human knowledge: Efforts to reduce

complexity results in creation of new level of abstractions. The resulting abstractions create a

new boundary for the system and generate a new form of complexity, and the cycle continues.

3.4 Transformation

Transformation is a technique in which the problem space is altered such that it

becomes more tractable and predictable. An example of this is taking a system that is very

difficult to understand in the time domain and performing analysis on it in the frequency

domain. Moving from systems governed by rules to ones governed by principles may be seen

as a form of transformation. Sometimes perspective can have an enormous impact on one’s

ability to understand a system’s behaviour. One of the important studies in systems science is

that of networks. In this case, the system is analysed with a transformation of its precise

structure, to one that is characterized by local and non-local connectivity and diameter (degrees

of separation). This transformation enables a significant reduction in the number of factors that

need to be addressed to understand the behaviour of the system.

It is known that these types of systems are rather resilient to random faults or

attacks, yet are very susceptible to failure in the “too big to fail” nodes. These systems also

involve tipping points which when tipped places the system in a different state such that it is
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usually not easy to return to the prior state. Thus, much can be understood about the system

based on a small amount of information.

4. Conclusion

Simulation and Reduced Complexity Models are so important these days. Both

Simulation and Reduced Complexity Models are used for predictions. Complex systems have

a richer set of interactions, and have behaviours that are impossible to accurately predict.

System complexity can be viewed from a multi-dimensional taxonomy including precision of

prediction, time scale of prediction, difficulty in acquiring necessary information, and breadth

of context. Complexity can be reduced through reduction, homogenization, abstraction and

transformation. A final general note to make, which seems obvious, is that when using any of

these techniques, some information about the system is lost. Whether that piece of information

is crucial or superfluous depends on the context and that particular application of the system.

It is always essential to have the assumptions behind each of these four techniques in mind.

Many systems failures are the result of a particular simplification technique being used

successfully in one context and then being misapplied in another context in which the missing

information is critical. The challenge of science as Einstein put it, is to make things “as simple

as possible, but no simpler.”