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Lesson 2 - Terms in Modelling and Simulation

The document discusses systems and their modeling. It defines what a system is, its components like entities and attributes, and different types of models used to represent systems. The document also explains how to determine a system's boundaries and classify systems as discrete or continuous.

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20 views

Lesson 2 - Terms in Modelling and Simulation

The document discusses systems and their modeling. It defines what a system is, its components like entities and attributes, and different types of models used to represent systems. The document also explains how to determine a system's boundaries and classify systems as discrete or continuous.

Uploaded by

cosum kondowe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Understanding Systems and Their Boundaries

● To model a system effectively, it's important to grasp what a system is and


where its limits lie.
● A system is basically a group of connected parts working together for a
common goal.
● For example, think of a car factory where machines, parts, and workers all work
together to make cars.
● Systems are influenced by things outside of them, which we call the ‘system
environment’.
● These external factors can affect how the system works. When we model
systems, we have to decide what's part of the system and what's part of the
environment. This depends on what we're trying to figure out.
● For instance, in a factory, things like order arrivals might be considered outside
the factory's control. But if supply and demand affect how much the factory
produces, that relationship becomes part of the system.
● Similarly, in a bank, there might be rules about how much interest can be
offered. When we study one bank, these rules are just part of the environment.
But if we're looking at how banking laws affect the whole industry, those rules
become part of the system we're studying.
● So, understanding systems and their boundaries helps us figure out which
parts and interactions to include in our models and which ones to consider
external factors.

Components of a System
1. Entity: An entity is something of interest within the system. For example, in a
bank system, customers would be entities.
2. Attribute: An attribute is a characteristic or property of an entity. For instance,
the balance in a customer's checking account is an attribute.
3. Activity: An activity represents a specific period of time within the system. For
example, making deposits at a bank would be considered an activity.

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● When studying a system, the collection of entities involved might differ
depending on the focus of the study.
● For example, if we're looking at how many tellers a bank needs, the system
might include regular tellers and customers waiting in line. But if we're also
considering special tellers for specific transactions, we'd need to expand the
system definition.
● The state of a system refers to the variables needed to describe it at any given
time, based on the study's objectives.
● For instance, in our bank study, variables like the number of busy tellers,
customers waiting, and the next customer's arrival time are important state
variables.
● An event is an instantaneous happening that could change the system's state.
For example, a customer arriving at the bank is an event that affects the
system's state.
● Endogenous activities and events occur within the system itself, while
exogenous ones happen in the environment but impact the system. For
instance, a customer arriving (exogenous) and a customer completing a
transaction (endogenous) in the bank study.
● The table below describes a couple of systems by its components. Note that
the list of components is not exhaustive:

System Entities Attributes Activities Events State

Banking Customers Checking Making Customer Number of busy


account deposits arrival, tellers, number
balance departure of customers
waiting

Communicati Messages length Transmitting Arrival of Number of


on message, messages in
sending of que,
message

Inventory Warehouse Capacity Product Demand Inventory level;


delivery, backlogged
withdrawing demands

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Discrete and Continuous Systems

● Systems can be classified as either discrete or continuous. While real-world


systems may exhibit aspects of both types, they tend to lean towards one
predominant type.

1. Discrete Systems: In a discrete system, the state variables change only at


specific points in time. For example, consider a bank where the number of
customers changes only when someone arrives or completes a transaction.
This discrete change can be visualised as a step function, where the state
variable jumps from one value to another at discrete time intervals.

2. Continuous Systems: In contrast, a continuous system experiences continuous


changes in its state variables over time. An example is the head of water
behind a dam. Here, the water level fluctuates continuously due to factors such
as rainfall, water draw for flood control and electricity generation, and
evaporation. This continuous change is represented by a smooth, continuous
curve, showing how the state variable changes steadily over time.

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Modelling a System

● Studying a system often involves understanding how its components interact


or predicting its behaviour under different conditions.
● While experimenting directly with the system is sometimes possible, it's not
always practical or feasible.
● For instance, testing a new policy in a bank by reducing teller numbers might
upset customers. In such cases, studies are conducted using models of the
system.
● A model is essentially a representation of a system used for studying it. It
focuses on the aspects of the system relevant to the problem at hand.
● While a model simplifies the system, it must still capture enough detail to draw
valid conclusions about the real system.
● Different models may be needed for different study purposes.
● Similar to the components of a system, a model includes entities, attributes,
and activities.
● However, the model only includes those components essential to the study.
This allows researchers to analyse and understand the system's behaviour
without unnecessary complexity.

Types of Models
Models can be categorised into various types, each serving different purposes and
representing systems in unique ways.

1. Form of Representation:
● Physical Models: Represent systems through physical replicas or
scaled-down versions of objects.
● Mathematical Models: Use mathematical equations and symbolic
notation to represent systems.

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2. Nature of Variation:
● Static Models: Depict systems at specific points in time without
considering changes over time.
● Dynamic Models: Represent systems as they evolve and change over
time.

3. Incorporation of Randomness:
● Deterministic Models: Have fixed inputs leading to predictable outputs
without randomness.
● Stochastic Models: Incorporate random variables as inputs, leading to
random outputs.

4. Nature of Time:
● Discrete Models: Describe systems where state variables change only at
discrete points in time.
● Continuous Models: Represent systems with continuous changes in
state variables over time.

● Mixed models combine elements of discrete and continuous models based on


system characteristics and study objectives.

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