Simulation closes the gap between reality and virtual games. It allows to "play virtual games" with reality - for understanding and envisioning how the world is and how it could be.
Being an abstraction of reality, simulation models allow the playfulness of games, but with the seriousness and rigour of mathematical models. They broaden the possibility space of humanity and help to understand and master complex systems. Without loosing touch with reality, simulations help to build and "play" for a better world.
Complex systems - complex problems
Business systems, economic systems, sociological and ecological systems, urban systems, political systems - all systems of principal importance for humanity are first-rate complex systems that are way too complex to be studied and analyzed by analytical methods alone.
Simulation offers a toolset to cope with the immense complexity of these systems. In the future, improved simulation methodologies and ever increasing computing resources will allow to come ever closer to a better understanding and management of these systems.
