Real-life Applications of Modeling

and Simulation
Transportation Modeling and Simulation
• Transportation modeling is used to estimate travel patterns and demand and
comprises several mathematical equations to replicate or describe how people or
goods travel.
• The public and private sectors collaborate in the development and operation of the
different modes of transportation throughout the world.
• Modeling and Simulation provide and ideal tool to examine transportation.
• Modeling and Simulation offers cost effective way to assess different alternatives for
addressing transportation related problem.
• The result of modeling and simulation can be used to illustrate the effectiveness of
different alternatives to general public and the key stakeholders, allowing them to
make informed decision for the project.
The Main Types of traffic models are macroscopic,
mesoscopic and microscopic.

Macroscopic models consider the aggregate behavior of traffic flow while

microscopic models consider the interaction of individual vehicles. These models
include parameters such as driver behavior, vehicle locations, distance headways,
time headways, and the velocity and acceleration of individual vehicles.
Mesoscopic models share the properties of macroscopic and microscopic traffic
models.
 Two common types of problems in the surface
transportation

• Transportation planning problems

• Transportation operations problems
 Transportation planning problem

• Focuses on traffic conditions forecasting 5 to 20 years from the present.

• This kind of analyses are often regional in scope.
• The models use socioeconomic data and roadway information to predict
traffic network conditions.
• Macroscopic models are often used in this kind of simulation.
 Macroscopic models.
Macroscopic simulation models are based on the deterministic relationships of
the flow, speed, and density of the traffic stream. The simulation in a
macroscopic model takes place on a section-by-section basis, treating traffic flow
as a fluid rather than by tracking individual vehicles. Macroscopic models have
considerably fewer data and computer requirements than microscopic models.
They can simulate certain control strategies in large networks. However, they
cannot model transportation improvements that affect the operational
performance of individual vehicles.
 Transportation operations problems

• Focuses on creating detailed analysis of small-scale problems such as

individual road or intersection.
• These models are effective in heavily congested conditions, complex
geometric configurations, and system-level impacts of proposed
improvements.
• Engineers are concentrating their efforts on examining certain aspects of road
design and control. As a result, operational models frequently employ
microscopic models.
• Often used in this kind of simulation is Microscopic models.
Microscopic simulation models
These models simulate the movement and interactions of individual vehicles
based on car-following, lane-changing, and queue discharge algorithms. Typically,
vehicles enter a transportation network using a statistical distribution of arrivals
(a stochastic process) and are tracked through the network each second or
fraction of a second. Typically, upon entry, each vehicle is assigned a destination,
a vehicle type, and a driver type.
Mesoscopic simulation models
Mesoscopic models combine the properties of both microscopic and
macroscopic simulation models. They track individual vehicles, but their
movement is based on the deterministic speed-flow relationships as in the
macroscopic models. Mesoscopic models are appropriate for assessing
traveler information and guidance strategies because they consider the queue
formation and dissipation on the network links. As such, they include
dynamic assignment algorithms (DTA) and can evaluate dynamic traveler
diversions in large-scale networks.
Model Calibration
Capacity Calibration.
Traffic Capacity, which represents the capacity of a road to accommodate the
traffic volume. Traffic Capacity is expressed as the maximum number of vehicles
in a lane or a road that can pass a given point in unit time, usually an hour, i.e.,
vehicles per hour per lane or roadway.

Route Choice Calibration.

Calibrating the route choice model involves determining the best coefficients
of the variables in the utility function or cost function. In calibrating route choice
the settings on how drivers respond to roadway attributes and congestion and to
changes in the transportation system are established, which affects the modeled
link volumes and speeds.
Model Calibration
System Performance Calibration.
System Performance Calibration may include performance measures. At least
one measure should be related to travel time or speed profiles along one or
more key paths in the roadway network. At least one other measure should be
related to bottleneck dynamics, e.g., bottleneck throughput or duration.
Software's for Transportation planning problem
• CUBE
• TransCAD
• TRANSIMS
Software's for Transportation planning operations
• HCS
• CORSIM
• VISSIM
Business Modeling and Simulation

► What is business modelling and simulation?

►
A Business Simulation was started in the late 1940’s use by Private industrial
Organization. Nowadays, modeling and simulation is widely develop allover
business such as areas production and operations, marketing and sales,
accounting and finance, and even in the human resources department.
Hardware and software advancement made this all possible.
►Simulation can help you analyze business processes and discover where
improvements need to be made.

*The typical applications of modelling and simulation, which is related to

business, can be categorize by the following:

System analysis - The main goal of simulation in this area is to improve a

system's performance by gaining a better knowledge of its behavior.

►Business process simulation is a mechanism used to test and analyze both

current business processes and those that have not yet been implemented. The
purpose of simulation is to figure out how a process may work in the real world
before it is built.
► Many “what if” analysis will be done as required for a good decision. Simple computer
simulation can be done by spreadsheet software for more complex ones there’s a special
methods likes system dynamics, discrete event simulation, or the agent base simulation.

► Acquisition and system acceptance - This category generally contains questions and
answers related to purchasing and/or adopting a new system that might potentially improve
an organization's business processes.

► An acquisition is when one company purchases most or all of another company's shares to
gain control of that company. Purchasing more than 50% of a target firm's stock and other
assets allows the acquirer to make decisions about the newly acquired assets without the
approval of the company's other shareholders.
► Research - This entails the creation of artificial environments and their
simulation. The major goals of simulations in this area are to see how various or
many modifications to system components, as well as the behavior of a group
and/or an individual, affect system performance.

► Education and training - The simulations in this category are designed to help
students or trainees get a better grasp of and ability to apply business theories,
concepts, and processes.
Social Science Modeling and
Simulation

(Sokolowski & Banks, 2009)

Social Science Modeling and
Simulation
-Social science involves multiple disciplines that study different human aspects
by applying scientific methods.
► There are some disciplines under social science, Namely:
-Anthropology
-comparative theology
-economics
-political science
-sociology
-psychology
The following are some social science
Modeling methods:
►Statistical modeling
►Formal modeling
►Behavior modeling
►Social network modeling
Statistical Modeling
► It is a traditional method of discovery and interpretation of patterns in a large
number of events.

Mathematical
Model

Physical Model
 Formal Modeling
► The formal methods model is an approach to software engineering that applies
mathematical methods or techniques to the process of developing complex
software systems.

Formal Methods Model: Steps

There are two steps that comprise the formal methods model. Those steps are the property-based specification and the
model-based specification.

Property-Based Specification Model-Based Specification

-Start up -Starting up
-Send message -Sending message
-Receive message -Receiving message
-Display message, and -Displaying message, and
-Shut down -Shutting down
 Behavior Modeling
► In software engineering, behavioral model describe the overall behavior of the system. There are two types
of behavioral models that are used to describe the system behavior, one is data processing model and another
is state machine models. 

*Characteristics of Data Flow Diagram *Guidelines for Data Flow Diagram

• It shows the process, that transforms incoming data flows
into outgoing data flows.
• Process that performs this transformation normally creates
as well as uses data.
• External entities send and receive data flow from the
systems.
• It is also called a bubble chart.
• Data flow diagram support a top-down approach for
analysis.
• Level 0 DFD should depict software system as single bubble.
• Primary input and output are carefully noted.
• Refinement should begin by isolating candidate processes, data
objects, data stores to be represented at the next level.
• All arrows and bubbles should be labeled with full names.
• Information flow continuity must be maintained from level to
level. That means the data objects that flow into the system of any
transformation at one level must be the same. Data objects that
flow into transformation at the more refined level.
• One bubble at a time should be refined.
Data Flow Diagram Notation
► Data flow diagram consists of a series of symbols joined together by a line. Data objects are
represented by circles which are also called bubble charts. Data flow diagram are represented in
hierarchical order. 

-Data Flow 
-Process
-Entity
-Data Store
 State Diagram
State diagram is a dynamic model which
represents the changes of state that an object
goes through during the lifetime in response to
events.  ► 1. Initial State
► 2. Final State
► 3. State
► 4. Transition
► 5. Event and Action
► 6. History State
► 7. Signal
► 8. Self Transition
 ci al
So r k
et w o
N g ►It is a modeling approach that analyzes the many
o d e li n
M relationships produced from statistical analysis of
relational data and hence covers social activities.
This approach may also be used to explain the
flow of information, the spread of infection, and
the identification of outliers within a group.
Quiz

1. Simulation models are based on the deterministic relationships of the flow, speed, and density of the
traffic stream.

2. These models simulate the movement and interactions of individual vehicles based on car-following,
lane-changing, and queue discharge algorithms.

3. Models combine the properties of both microscopic and macroscopic simulation models.

4. It is a modeling approach that analyzes the many relationships produced from statistical analysis of
relational data and hence covers social activities.

5. The simulations in this category are designed to help students or trainees get a better grasp of and ability
to apply business theories, concepts, and processes.