Abstract

Numericalsimulations are used for the approximate prediction of situations under strictly defined conditions. They are based on mathematical models and represent interdependencies in the form of algorithms and computer programs. In everyday life, they are now ubiquitous for everyone, for example in weather forecasts or economic growth forecasts. In politics, they serve as an important tool for decision-making. In the scientific context, however, simulations are much more than a prediction tool. Similar to experiments, they also serve to build models themselves and thus enable the elucidation of causal relationships. Due to increasingly powerful computers, the importance of numerical simulation in science has grown steadily and rapidly over the last 50 years. In the meantime, it is considered an indispensable tool for gaining knowledge in many scientific disciplines. It is to be expected that numerical simulation will continue to grow rapidly in importance in the future and produce further surprising findings and technolo gies.