Different uses for a computer simulation are often based on different industries that can utilize such simulations and the ways in which the input and output for a simulation can be used. Financial and company managers, for example, often utilize computer simulations to predict trends in investment and to evaluate possible outcomes of different business decisions. Military uses for simulations are often centered on creating scenarios within a simulation program and evaluating the outcome of those scenarios for predicting military effectiveness. There are also ways in which a computer simulation can be used in science, especially for physical sciences such as meteorology and physics.
A computer simulation is a program developed using statistical information to create an algorithm that allows the program to make predictions based on past events. Business uses for such applications are quite important, as many companies utilize these simulations to forecast trends and changes in finance. An investment firm, for example, might use a computer simulation to predict how investments and markets may behave in the future. Individual companies can use such simulations for management and organizational strategies, making predictions on how a company might benefit or be damaged by decisions that are being considered.
There are also a number of different uses for a computer simulation in the military and similar applications. Some simulations have been used by military commanders to create a model for a particular battlefield or combat scenario; the simulation then creates a realistic prediction of the outcome of the conflict. Similar simulations have been used to predict how different countries or military organizations might attack each other, and the various outcomes that can result from such attacks. A computer simulation can also be used by a government or military agency to predict the impact that catastrophic attacks, such as a nuclear attack, might have on a particular geographic populace.
Many uses for a computer simulation can be found within various scientific fields of study. Meteorology, for example, often uses complex simulations to model and predict the movements of various weather systems. This allows meteorological associations to track the movements of a large storm, such as a tropical hurricane, and predict where that system might move, providing time to more effectively warn people of a storm’s approach. Other types of physical sciences can also use a computer simulation to create models and predict behaviors, including interactions between different waveforms and the way in which atomic particles behave in various environments.