Boyer-Kassem, Thomas (2014) Layers of Models in Computer Simulations. [Preprint]
![[img]](https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png) |
PDF
Boyer-Kassem_Layers-of-Computational-Models_preprint.pdf - Accepted Version Download (380kB) |
Abstract
I discuss here the definition of computer simulations, and more specifically the views of Humphreys, who considers that an object is simulated when a computer provides a solution to a computational model, which in turn represents the object of interest. I argue that Humphreys’s concepts are not able to analyse fully successfully a case of contemporary simulation in physics, which is more complex than the examples considered so far in the philosophical literature. I therefore modify Humphreys’s definition of simulation. I allow for several successive layers of computational models, and I discuss the relations that exist between these models, the computer, and the object under study. An aim of my proposal is to clarify the distinction between computational models and numerical methods, and to better understand the representational and the computational functions of models in simulations.
| Export/Citation: | EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL |
| Social Networking: |
| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creators: |
|
||||||
| Additional Information: | International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, 28:4, 417-436 | ||||||
| Keywords: | Models and simulations; computational model; layers of models; imaginary time path integral | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Models and Idealization Specific Sciences > Physics |
||||||
| Depositing User: | Dr. Thomas Boyer-Kassem | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 07 Jun 2015 14:09 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 07 Jun 2015 14:09 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 11502 | ||||||
| Official URL: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02698595.2014.979670 | ||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | 10.1080/02698595.2014.979670 | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Models and Idealization Specific Sciences > Physics |
||||||
| Date: | 2014 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/11502 |
Monthly Views for the past 3 years
Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years
Plum Analytics
Altmetric.com
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
![[feed]](http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/style/images/feed-icon-32x32.png){kind=icon}