GASP V(ID:7417/gas010)Simulation languageVersion 5 of GASP References: in ACM Computing Reviews 19(01) January 1978 view details in ACM Computing Reviews 19(01) January 1978 view details Our review focuses upon the enhancements that appear in this new edition. Interspersed between the introductory chapter on system models (which covers basic definitions and a taxonomy of models) and a chapter on computational techniques in simulation, there is a new chapter on system studies, which is highlighted by the stepwise development of a corporate model. The chapter on continuous system simulation has been augmented with CSMPIII examples, while first edition chapters on industrial dynamics and Dynamo have been reorganized into a single chapter on systems dynamics, reflecting the current popular interest in socioeconomic and globil models. The following two chapters provide the necessary probabilistic and statistical methodologies for the discrete event simulation concepts presented in succeeding chapters. Chapter 8 on discrete system simulation provides the logical concepts for implementing discrete event simulations and obtaining performance measures; the familiar telephone system simulation from the first edition is introduced here, and in later chapters implemented in both GPSSV and SIM- SCRIPT II.5. The focus of the text is in the following four chapters on GPSS and SIMSCRIPT, which have been redone (particularly with regard to SIMSCRIPT) to reflect the "latest" versions of these languages, GPSSV and SIMSCRIPT II.5. The presentation of these languages is exceptionally well done. A new chapter on simulation programming techniques provides insight into the internal features of simulation programming languages, with regard to data structures, event scanning, and execution algorithms. A final chapter on the statistical analysis of simulation output covers not only the familiar methods of obtaining confidence intervals by run replication (with initial bias considerations) and batch means, but the more recent approaches of regenerative techniques, as well as a discussion of the comparative analyses performed by Law. If this reviewer had to identify one weak point of this book, it would be that the author chose to deal with a dynamic area, so dynamic that a few portions of the book could already be revised. Thus, as briefly stated on p.290, a recently released version of SIMSCRIPT II.5 is based on a new world view of processes and resources, thus providing greater flexibility and ease of programming for the SIMSCRIPT user. While the event scheduling approach discussed in the text is upwardly compatible with this new release, users interested in the new design will have to look elsewhere for details. The brief coverage of DYNAMO in Section 514 is somewhat outmoded by the recent appearance of DYNAMO III, with its powerful array handling capabilities. In fairness to this book, we should note that the type of delay phenomenon experienced is quite common, and is caused by the lead time required in publishing. The presentation and style of the text are remarkably clear. It is a difficult task to prepare a book that adequately covers the spectrum of simulation from three perspectives methodology, languages, and real-life applications without going too deeply into any single topic. Due to the author's painstaking care, this book succeeds. It encourages the reader to become actively involved in the material, and whets his appetite to pursue further the advanced details of numerous topics. Like its predecessor, this book is an excellent choice for introductory courses in systems simulation, and also belongs in the library of anyone who professes to be a systems scientist. in ACM Computing Reviews 19(06) June 1978 view details in ACM Computing Reviews 19(06) June 1978 view details |