Discrete-event simulation

Imagine you are playing with blocks and you have to build a tower. You start with one block, then add another block on top, and keep going until your tower is as tall as you want it to be. Discrete-event simulation is a way of using a computer to do something similar to building with blocks, but with events that happen at different times.

Discrete-event simulation is like playing with a toy that tracks different things happening in time. Each thing that happens - like adding a new block to the tower - is called an event. The computer keeps track of all of the events that have happened, and what will happen in the future. It does this by keeping a list of all the events that are expected to happen, and when they will happen.

For example, let's say you want to simulate a doctor's office. People come in and out, and they have to wait for the doctor to be available. In a discrete-event simulation, you would start by putting all of the people who arrive at the office on a list. Each person is an event, and they have a time stamp that tells the computer when they arrived.

Next, you would put the doctor's availability on the list. When the doctor becomes available, it's like adding a block to the tower. You remove the doctor's availability from the list, and add the next person who was waiting to see the doctor to the list.

By keeping track of all of the events that happen in this way, you can simulate how a complex system - like a doctor's office or a factory - works over time. You can see how long people have to wait to see the doctor, or how long it takes for a product to be made in the factory.

Discrete-event simulation is useful for understanding complex systems, and testing out different scenarios to see how they might work. It can also help people make decisions about how a system should be designed or improved.