Body of Knowledge for Modeling and Simulation: A Handbook by the Society for Modeling and Simulation International

Any scientific Body of Knowledge is a comprehensive and concise representation of concepts, terms, and activities needed to explain a professional domain by representing the common understanding of relevant professionals and professional associations. Defining this body for Modeling and Simulation (M&S) is essential for the discipline of M&S. These concepts must include the science-philosophical foundations and implications, the understanding what models are and how their implementation in form of simulations can be used to support the many application domains, such as gaining experience for training and education, as well as experimentation for analysis, design, control, and optimization, within increasing number of computational disciplines.
In this initial Guide to M&SBoK, Chap. 1 sets out the concepts of the M&S framework ontology that lay the groundwork for subsequent discussion. Chapter 2 covers the core areas of M&S and provides an overall big picture portrait of this emerging discipline and how it supports other knowledge domains. Chapter 3 covers the traditional view of simulation as experimentation. Indeed, there is no other discipline that can provide powerful simulations providing numerical insight into complex dynamic systems. And yet, the epistemology of M&S is the brain power that enables these tools. Simulation is the muscle; modeling is the soul!
Chapters 4 and 5 introduce simulation as experience, both in the technical and entertainment arenas. Chapters 6–10 cover the internals of the M&S disciple, its mechanics, ethics, and economics, while Chaps. 11–16 concern the external rela-tionships, how M&S is taking its place among, and increasingly central to, the recognized disciplines in science, technology, and the arts. Finally, Chaps. 17–19 review the development of M&S over time and set forth the trends, aspirations, and challenges of the future