CS620 – Modelling and Simulation

Printable Midterm Prep (Topics 1–50)

🔹 Topic-wise Quick Notes (1–50)

1. Simulation: Simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world system or process to
study its behavior under different scenarios.

2. When Simulation is Appropriate: Used when experimentation with the real system is difficult,
dangerous, or expensive.

3. When Simulation is Not Appropriate: Not suitable when simple analytical solutions or direct
calculations are possible.

4. Advantages of Simulation: Helps analyze complex systems, test 'what-if' scenarios, and train
people without real-world risks.

5. Disadvantages of Simulation: Can be expensive, time-consuming, and results are only as

good as the model's accuracy.

6. Application Areas: Manufacturing, healthcare, military, supply chain, traffic systems, business
processes.

7. Military Applications: Used for training, logistics, battle planning, and weapon system
evaluation.

8. System & Environment: System: focus area; Environment: external factors affecting the
system.

9. System Concepts: Includes homeostasis, adaptation, feedback loop, throughput, etc.

10. Components of a System: Entity, Attribute, State, Activity, Event, and Delay.

11. Discrete vs Continuous: Discrete: changes at specific times (bank queue). Continuous:
smooth change (water level in tank).

12. Model of a System: A simplified representation of a real-world system to study it.

13. Types of Models: Static/Dynamic, Deterministic/Stochastic, Discrete/Continuous.

14. Discrete Event Simulation: Simulation where state changes at discrete points using event
list.

15–22. Steps of Simulation Study: Planning → Model → Data → Verification → Experiment →

Reporting → Implementation.

23. Simulation Case Study Steps: Define goal → Build model → Validate → Run → Analyze.
24–27. Spreadsheet Simulations: Use RAND(), simulate randomness (coin toss, arrivals,
service time).

28–29. Simulation Table: Organize input, random data, logic, and result columns in table form.

30–34. Discrete Event Framework: Defines Clock, Events, Activities, State, and Entity
interactions.

35–38. Event Scheduling Algorithm: 3 phases: A (remove event), B (execute), C (trigger new
events).

39–40. World Views: Three views: Event Scheduling, Activity Scanning, Process Interaction.

41–43. Manual Simulation: Simulation done step-by-step using paper or spreadsheet.

44. Statistical Models: Use distributions (Poisson, Exponential, Normal) to model randomness.

45–48. Review Terms: Entity, Attribute, State, Activity, Event, Delay, Clock, System,
Environment.

49–50. Useful Models: Queueing and inventory simulation models used in business and
industry.

Printable Midterm Prep (Topics 51–100)

🔹 Topic-wise Quick Notes (51–100)

51–55. Queuing Models: Used to simulate lines of people, items, or requests waiting for service.
Includes arrival rate, service rate, queue discipline.

56–60. Inventory Systems: Simulate ordering, stocking, and selling products. Helps find optimal
stock level and reorder policies.

61–63. Delay in Simulation: Delays occur when entities must wait for a resource. Modeled using
probability or event dependencies.

64–66. Activity vs. Event: Activity: takes time (e.g., service). Event: instantaneous change (e.g.,
arrival, departure).

67–70. Simulation Clock: Keeps track of simulation time. It jumps to next event time in discrete
event simulation.

71–73. Entity Attributes: Attributes define properties like arrival time, priority, or service type for
each entity.

74–76. Future Event List (FEL): A time-ordered list of all scheduled events in the system. Drives
simulation progress.

77–79. Random Numbers: Use uniform distributions (0–1) with functions like RAND(). Convert
to specific distributions for modeling.
80–83. Probability Distributions: Exponential, Poisson, Normal – used to simulate arrival,
service, and failure times.

84–85. Validation Techniques: Compare model results with real-world data, use expert opinion,
or run statistical tests.

86–88. Verification Techniques: Ensure model logic is implemented correctly. Use

walkthroughs, trace events, and code checks.

89–91. Animation in Simulation: Visualization of system behavior (e.g., moving cars, customer
flow). Enhances understanding and debugging.

92–94. Statistical Output Analysis: Analyzing results from multiple runs: mean, variance,
confidence intervals.

95–96. Terminating vs Non-Terminating Systems: Terminating: simulation ends (e.g., 8-hour

shift). Non-Terminating: runs indefinitely (e.g., ATM).

97–98. Warm-up Period: Ignore initial output to allow the system to reach a stable state. Helps
avoid bias.

99–100. Use of NetLogo: NetLogo is a tool for agent-based simulation. Used for modeling
decentralized systems (e.g., ant colonies, fire spread).

Topic-wise Notes (101–125)

101–103. Agent-Based Modeling (ABM)

ABM is a simulation method that models the behavior of individual agents (like people, animals,
or machines) that act independently and interact with each other to create system-level behavior.

104–106. Characteristics of ABM

• Agents act autonomously

• Local rules, no central control
• Agents may adapt, learn, and evolve
• Collective (emergent) behavior arises from interactions

107–108. Benefits of ABM

• Models individual behaviors

• Captures complex interactions
• Visual and flexible
• Useful when system behavior is not easily predictable

109–110. Applications of ABM

Used in:

• Biology (cells, immune systems)

• Sociology (crowd behavior)
 • Traffic simulation
• Marketing and economics
• Epidemic modeling

111–112. Fire Model in NetLogo

Simulates fire spread in a forest where trees catch fire and pass it to adjacent trees. Useful to
study spread rate and control methods.

113–114. Ant Model in NetLogo

Models ants searching for food using pheromones. Demonstrates swarm intelligence — where
simple agents (ants) create complex behavior.

115–117. Model Validation in ABM

Compare simulation results to real-world data or expected patterns. Experts can validate if the
model behavior is realistic.

118–119. Advantages of NetLogo

• Easy to use
• Ideal for teaching and prototyping
• Visual simulation interface
• Good for decentralized models

120–121. Setting Up ABM in NetLogo

Define agents, environment, behaviors (rules), interaction logic, and visual output. Then run and
observe system behavior.

122–125. Final Summary & Revision

Summarizes all previous concepts including discrete-event models, spreadsheets, random
models, agent-based simulation, applications, and tools.

🔹 Important MCQs (Topics 1–50)

1. Simulation is:

- A game

- A real system

- The imitation of a real system

- A type of database

✔ Correct Answer: The imitation of a real system

2. Which is NOT a reason to use simulation?

- Real system is complex

 - Analytical solution is available

- Cost is high

- System is risky

✔ Correct Answer: Analytical solution is available

3. Which of the following is a disadvantage of simulation?

- Gives insights

- Saves cost

- Time-consuming

- Easy to apply

✔ Correct Answer: Time-consuming

4. What is an entity in simulation?

- A property

- An object of interest

- A delay

- A model

✔ Correct Answer: An object of interest

5. Which model uses event list and state changes at points in time?

- Static Model

- Spreadsheet Model

- Discrete Event Simulation

- Physical Model

✔ Correct Answer: Discrete Event Simulation

6. A dynamic model is one which:

- Never changes

- Represents time-based changes

- Only for small systems

- Has no randomness
✔ Correct Answer: Represents time-based changes

7. The RAND() function in Excel generates:

- Negative numbers

- Text values

- Random number between 0 and 1

- Only 0 or 1

✔ Correct Answer: Random number between 0 and 1

8. In a system, delay is:

- A model

- An input

- A known activity

- An unknown time duration

✔ Correct Answer: An unknown time duration

9. Which of the following is NOT a type of simulation model?

- Deterministic

- Dynamic

- Chaotic

- Stochastic

✔ Correct Answer: Chaotic

10. Which one is NOT a simulation step?

- Problem formulation

- Model building

- Cooking

- Validation

✔ Correct Answer: Cooking

🔹 Important MCQs (Topics 51–100)

1. What is a queuing model used for?

- Stock management
 - Process scheduling

- Customer waiting line simulation

- Data encryption

✔ Correct Answer: Customer waiting line simulation

2. Which distribution is used for modeling time between arrivals?

- Normal

- Poisson

- Exponential

- Binomial

✔ Correct Answer: Exponential

3. Future Event List (FEL) is:

- A record of past events

- A to-do list

- List of scheduled future events

- Part of model input

✔ Correct Answer: List of scheduled future events

4. Simulation clock is used to:

- Track real time

- Track simulation time

- Count events

- Measure resources

✔ Correct Answer: Track simulation time

5. Which is an attribute of an entity?

- Queue

- Arrival time

- Server

- Resource
✔ Correct Answer: Arrival time

6. Which is a verification method?

- Compare with real-world

- Statistical analysis

- Code walkthrough

- Expert review

✔ Correct Answer: Code walkthrough

7. Which tool is used for agent-based simulation?

- MS Excel

- Simulink

- NetLogo

- C++

✔ Correct Answer: NetLogo

8. What is warm-up period used for?

- Heating model data

- Improving accuracy

- Ignoring unstable initial data

- Clearing cache

✔ Correct Answer: Ignoring unstable initial data

9. Terminating system example?

- 24/7 ATM

- Hospital emergency room

- 8-hour shift at factory

- Cloud server

✔ Correct Answer: 8-hour shift at factory

10. Which analysis is done on simulation output?

- SQL Query
 - Output debugging

- Statistical analysis

- Graph drawing

✔ Correct Answer: Statistical analysis

✅ Important MCQs (Topics 101–125)

1. What is the key concept of Agent-Based Modeling (ABM)?

o A) Centralized control
o B) Top-down simulation
o C) Autonomous agents ✔
o D) Mathematical equations
2. Which tool is commonly used for ABM?
o A) Simulink
o B) Excel
o C) NetLogo ✔
o D) Arena
3. Which of the following is a feature of ABM?
o A) Global rules only
o B) Agents act randomly
o C) Agents act independently ✔
o D) Continuous input
4. The fire model in NetLogo demonstrates:
o A) Economics
o B) Traffic signals
o C) Forest fire spread ✔
o D) Disease outbreak
5. What behavior is modeled in the Ant model?
o A) Marketing
o B) Food search using pheromones ✔
o C) Resource allocation
o D) Cloud computing
6. ABM is especially good for modeling:
o A) Simple systems
o B) Static data
o C) Emergent behavior ✔
o D) Single variable systems
7. Which of the following is NOT an ABM advantage?
o A) Visual output
o B) Easy to use
o C) Requires no logic ✔
o D) Flexible modeling
8. In ABM, agents:
o A) Follow top-down rules
o B) Are passive
o C) Interact based on rules ✔
o D) Depend on global controller
9. NetLogo is best suited for:
 o A) Server programming
o B) Numerical analysis
o C) Agent-based simulation ✔
o D) Cryptography
10. Which is an example of ABM application?

• A) Mathematical optimization
• B) Network protocol design
• C) Crowd behavior simulation ✔
• D) Hardware design

🔹 Important 3 and 5 Mark Questions (with Answers)

🟢 3 Marks Questions
1. Q: Define simulation with example.

Ans: Simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world system to study behavior.
Example: Simulating traffic flow in a city.

2. Q: Differentiate between Discrete and Continuous systems.

Ans: Discrete systems change at specific times (e.g., customer arrivals), while continuous
systems change smoothly over time (e.g., water level).

3. Q: List components of a system in simulation.

Ans: Entity, Attribute, State, Event, Activity, Delay – all define how a system behaves in a
simulation.

🔵 5 Marks Questions
4. Q: Describe the main steps of a simulation study.

Ans: The steps include: (1) Problem Formulation, (2) Setting Objectives, (3) Model
Conceptualization, (4) Data Collection, (5) Model Translation, (6) Verification, (7) Validation, (8)
Experimentation, (9) Documentation, and (10) Implementation.

5. Q: Explain spreadsheet simulation using an example.

Ans: Spreadsheet simulation uses functions like RAND() to simulate random events. For
example, =IF(RAND()<=0.5,"H","T") simulates a coin toss.

6. Q: What is Event Scheduling Algorithm? Describe its phases.

Ans: It is a 3-phase simulation approach: Phase A: Remove imminent event from FEL and update
clock. Phase B: Execute the event and update system state. Phase C: Schedule new events if
triggered.

🔹 Important 3 and 5 Mark Questions (with Answers)

🟢 3 Marks Questions
7. Q: Define Future Event List (FEL).
Ans: FEL is a time-ordered list containing all upcoming events in the simulation. It ensures that
events are processed in correct sequence.

8. Q: Differentiate between Activity and Event.

Ans: Activity takes time (e.g., service), while Event is an instantaneous occurrence (e.g., arrival).

9. Q: What is warm-up period in simulation?

Ans: The time at the beginning of simulation where data may be unstable, and hence ignored for
analysis.

🔵 5 Marks Questions
10. Q: Explain the use of statistical distributions in simulation.

Ans: Distributions help simulate uncertainty. Exponential is used for inter-arrival time, Poisson for
count of events, Normal for service or failure times. They help model real-world randomness.

11. Q: Describe how NetLogo is used for agent-based simulation.

Ans: NetLogo models decentralized systems. Agents (e.g., turtles) follow rules and interact with
environment. Used for modeling traffic, fire spread, epidemics, etc.

12. Q: Differentiate between Verification and Validation with examples.

Ans: Verification: Ensuring model is built correctly (e.g., checking code logic). Validation:
Ensuring model accurately represents the real system (e.g., comparing results with real data).

3-Mark Questions with Answers

Q1: Define Agent-Based Modeling (ABM).

Ans: ABM is a simulation technique where individual entities (agents) operate independently and
interact with others based on rules. Their combined behavior forms the system's overall behavior.

Q2: What is the fire model in NetLogo?

Ans: It simulates how fire spreads through a forest. Each tree can ignite its neighboring trees,
helping to visualize the dynamics of wildfire spread.

Q3: List two characteristics of agents in ABM.

Ans:

1. Agents act independently using local rules.

2. They can interact with other agents and adapt based on experiences.
✍️ 5-Mark Questions with Answers

Q1: Explain the working of the Ant Model in NetLogo.

Ans: The Ant model shows ants leaving their nest to find food. When food is found, ants leave a
pheromone trail back to the nest. Other ants follow stronger trails, leading to swarm behavior.
This models decentralized decision-making and communication.

Q2: Discuss advantages and applications of Agent-Based Modeling.

Ans:
Advantages:

• Visual and easy to understand

• Captures individual-level behavior
• Can model complex, adaptive systems

Applications:

• Crowd simulations
• Disease spread
• Ecology (animal movement)
• Market behavior

Q3: How can an ABM model be validated?

Ans:

• Compare simulation output with real-world data

• Use expert opinions to check logic and behavior
• Ensure the model replicates known or expected patterns