GlossaryGuide

Etym. discrete (adj.) mid-14c., “morally discerning, prudent, circumspect,” from Old French discret “discreet, sensible, intelligent, wise,” from Latin discretus “separated, distinct;” in Medieval Latin, “discerning, careful;” past participle of discernere “distinguish.” Meaning “separate, distinct” in English is late 14c.

Etym. simulation (n.) noun of action from past participle stem of simulare “imitate,” from stem of similis “like.” Meaning “a model or mock-up for purposes of experiment or training” is from 1954.

Definition

• A simulation that relies on variables changed only at a countable number of points in time; discrete event simulation (DES) is the process of codifying the behavior of a complex system as an ordered sequence of well-defined events.

• The operation of a system as a discrete sequence of events in time. Each event occurs at a particular instant in time and marks a change of state in the system. Between consecutive events, no change in the system is assumed to occur; thus the simulation can directly jump in time from one event to the next (Robinson, 2004).

• One or more variables that completely describe a system at any given moment in time (Sokolowski & Banks, 2011).