Question

Explain briefly. In Simulation Modelling. How is a random number the engine of discrete event simulation?

Answer 1

Simulation modelling is a technology that involves generating a virtual prototype of a model under study and evaluating the properties of the model.

For answering the question, I shall explain the types of systems for which simulations are usually conducted.

There are continuous systems, discrete systems and discrete event systems.

Continuous systems are systems in which states changes continuously. Discrete systems are systems in which the state change happens at some specific intervals. For both, some uniformity is there in the frequency of change of state of the system. But for a discrete event system, there is no uniformity in events happening. There can be several frequencies in which events happen.

For testing such a system, you must involve random numbers. Random numbers are a set of numbers distributed over a set and you cannot predict the next number based on past or current numbers. Using random numbers will ensure efficient simulation of a discrete event system.