Description

The book introduces simulation as a method for studying and analyzing systems when experimenting directly with the real system may be difficult, expensive, or impractical. It focuses particularly on discrete-event system simulation, where the state of a system changes at specific points in time because of events.

The introduction explains that simulation can be used to represent real systems such as manufacturing operations, queues, inventory systems, computer systems, and communication networks. The book emphasizes building models, collecting appropriate data, analyzing the model, verifying and validating it, and conducting experiments to understand system performance.