?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=The+World+as+a+Process%3A+Simulations+in+the+Natural+and+Social+Sciences&rft.creator=Hartmann%2C+Stephan&rft.subject=Models+and+Idealization&rft.subject=Economics&rft.description=Simulation+techniques%2C+especially+those+implemented+on+a+computer%2C+are+frequently+employed+in+natural+as+well+as+in+social+sciences+with+considerable+success.+There+is+mounting+evidence+that+the+%22model-building+era%22+(J.+Niehans)+that+dominated+the+theoretical+activities+of+the+sciences+for+a+long+time+is+about+to+be+succeeded+or+at+least+lastingly+supplemented+by+the+%22simulation+era%22.+But+what+exactly+are+models%3F+What+is+a+simulation+and+what+is+the+difference+and+the+relation+between+a+model+and+a+simulation%3F+These+are+some+of+the+questions+addressed+in+this+article.+I+maintain+that+the+most+significant+feature+of+a+simulation+is+that+it+allows+scientists+to+imitate+one+process+by+another+process.+%22Process%22+here+refers+solely+to+a+temporal+sequence+of+states+of+a+system.+Given+the+observation+that+processes+are+dealt+with+by+all+sorts+of+scientists%2C+it+is+apparent+that+simulations+prove+to+be+a+powerful+interdisciplinarily+acknowledged+tool.+Accordingly%2C+simulations+are+best+suited+to+investigate+the+various+research+strategies+in+different+sciences+more+carefully.+To+this+end%2C+I+focus+on+the+function+of+simulations+in+the+research+process.+Finally%2C+a+somewhat+detailed+case-study+from+nuclear+physics+is+presented+which%2C+in+my+view%2C+illustrates+elements+of+a+typical+simulation+in+physics.&rft.date=2005-08&rft.type=Preprint&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fphilsci-archive.pitt.edu%2F2412%2F1%2FSimulations.pdf&rft.identifier=Hartmann%2C+Stephan+(2005)+The+World+as+a+Process%3A+Simulations+in+the+Natural+and+Social+Sciences.+[Preprint]&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fphilsci-archive.pitt.edu%2F2412%2