simulace

Simulace is a process and its product that aims to imitate the behavior of a real system over time. In Czech and Slovak usage, the term denotes both the model of a system and the program or method that executes it, enabling analysis, prediction, or training without interacting with the real system. The word originates from Latin simulare, meaning to imitate or pretend.

Simulations can be classified by how they represent time and interactions. Discrete-event simulations model changes at specific moments; continuous simulations deal with variables that change continuously; agent-based simulations represent autonomous entities and their interactions. Stochastic simulations incorporate randomness, while deterministic simulations have fixed parameters. Monte Carlo methods use random sampling to estimate outcomes. Realistic fidelity and abstraction balance accuracy against computational cost.

A simulation typically consists of a model, input data, and a program that runs the model to produce outputs. The workflow includes model development, parameter estimation, calibration against observed data, validation against independent data, and scenario analysis. Sensitivity analysis assesses how changes in inputs affect results. Researchers seek reproducibility and transparency, documenting assumptions and limitations.

Common applications include scientific research, engineering design, urban planning, economics and finance, epidemiology, and training. Simulations are used to explore hypothetical scenarios, forecast future behavior, test policies, and visualize complex processes that are difficult to study directly. Limitations include simplifications, structural bias, uncertainty in data, and the risk that the model may overfit or misrepresent real dynamics.

In Czech and Slovak contexts, simulace is a central concept in technical education and professional practice, supporting experimentation that would be impractical, costly, or unsafe in the real world. The term is closely related to modeling (modelování) and to computational methods in science and engineering.