Applications include design, training, education, research, testing and even games. With the advent of affordable yet powerful computers, simulation has expanded considerably in the last few years. Simulation is NOT the same as mathematical modelling. Computer simulation can be considered as experimentation on a computer based model. Computer simulation provides a safe experimental environment for investigation of system properties.
Simulation is particularly useful for analysis of nonlinear models.
Discrete simulation models represent systems as sequences of events. The system variables exist as discrete states. Continuous simulation models represent dynamic systems with continuously changing state variables.