Discrete vs. continuous
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 1996 11:20 am
Gene Bellinger writes:
"Is there a set of criteria one can employ to determine whether a
discrete or a continuous simulation is most appropriate?"
Im not exactly sure what you mean by "discrete simulation". If you
mean discrete event simulation, then I have the following rather
inadequate thought:
In a corporate setting, if people are interested in a very detailed
problem, (like where to place machines on a shop floor, or perhaps
exactly how to route a particular peice of paper through the
organization -- I start thinking its discrete event. If I dont see
any real feedback issues, again discrete event. If people are
interested in the usual probelms of discrete event simulations
(waiting times, length of ques (O.K., length of lines)), discrete
event. And the contrary also holds: Continuous when there is a
higher-level problem, obvious feedback).
On the other hand, I have one or two potential clients who have
considered asking me to work on what seems to me to be an obviously
dynamic issue best captured continuously, only to learn that they are
also considering asking a discrete-event firm to work on the same
problem. So, I dont know.
It sounds like you work in both fields, so you might be one of the few
people with broad enough experience to answer the question.
Jim Hines
jimhines@interserv.com
"Is there a set of criteria one can employ to determine whether a
discrete or a continuous simulation is most appropriate?"
Im not exactly sure what you mean by "discrete simulation". If you
mean discrete event simulation, then I have the following rather
inadequate thought:
In a corporate setting, if people are interested in a very detailed
problem, (like where to place machines on a shop floor, or perhaps
exactly how to route a particular peice of paper through the
organization -- I start thinking its discrete event. If I dont see
any real feedback issues, again discrete event. If people are
interested in the usual probelms of discrete event simulations
(waiting times, length of ques (O.K., length of lines)), discrete
event. And the contrary also holds: Continuous when there is a
higher-level problem, obvious feedback).
On the other hand, I have one or two potential clients who have
considered asking me to work on what seems to me to be an obviously
dynamic issue best captured continuously, only to learn that they are
also considering asking a discrete-event firm to work on the same
problem. So, I dont know.
It sounds like you work in both fields, so you might be one of the few
people with broad enough experience to answer the question.
Jim Hines
jimhines@interserv.com