Discrete Event Simulation
Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is a computational modeling technique that simulates the operation of a system as a sequence of events in time, where each event occurs at a specific instant and changes the state of the system. It is widely used to analyze complex systems in fields like manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and telecommunications by modeling processes as discrete, instantaneous occurrences rather than continuous changes. DES helps in understanding system behavior, optimizing performance, and evaluating scenarios without real-world experimentation.
Developers should learn DES when building simulation models for systems where events happen at distinct points in time, such as queueing systems, supply chain networks, or service processes, to predict performance, identify bottlenecks, and test 'what-if' scenarios efficiently. It is particularly valuable in operations research, industrial engineering, and software for gaming or training simulations, as it provides a flexible framework for modeling stochastic and dynamic systems with high accuracy and lower computational cost compared to continuous simulations.