A tale of two methods.

Simulations (both digital and analog) and experiments share many features. But what essential features distinguish them? I discuss two proposals in the literature. On one proposal, experiments investigate nature directly, while simulations merely investigate models. On another proposal, simulations...

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Publicado en:Synthese Vol. 169; no. 3; pp. 575 - 593
Autor principal: Winsberg, Eric
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature Aug2009
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        Computer simulation
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        Mathematical statistics
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        Computers
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        Methodology
        Models
        Simulations
        Validation
      ab: Simulations (both digital and analog) and experiments share many features. But what essential features distinguish them? I discuss two proposals in the literature. On one proposal, experiments investigate nature directly, while simulations merely investigate models. On another proposal, simulations differ from experiments in that simulationists manipulate objects that bear only a formal (rather than material) similarity to the targets of their investigations. Both of these proposals are rejected. I argue that simulations fundamentally differ from experiments with regard to the background knowledge that is invoked to argue for the “external validity” of the investigation.
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