A Note On The Reproducibility Of Discrete-Event Simulation Studies

Abstract

The reproducibility of discrete-event simulation results determined by repetitive evaluations are used as a basis for an estimation of the accuracy of a spectral method of determining the reproducibility of the mean of an autocorrelated series.

The simulation model used is of a simple hypothetical computer system, and it is observed that the spectral method differs from the repetitive approach by not more than 20%.

It is noted that an approach such as the spectral method avoids the difficulty encountered by the repetitive approach of selecting an economical sample size for the determination of confidence intervals.

Résumé

Comme base d’estimation de la précision d’une méthode spectralepour déterminer la reproductibilité de la moyenne d’une série temporelle autocorrelée on utilise en reproductibilité de résultats de simulation dans un ensemble discret déterminé par des évaluations répétées.

Le modéle de simulation utilisé est un modèle simple pour ordinateur. On observe que la méthode spectrale ne diffire pas de l’approche par répétition de plus de 20%.

On remarque qu’une approche telle que la méthode spectrale évite Ies difficultés rencontrées avec l’approche par répétition pour la sélection d’une taille d’eéchantillon économique pour la détermination d’intervalle de confiance.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

S.R. Clark

S. R. CLARK graduated from the University of British Columbia with a BA SC in electrical engineering in 1959. He received his M SC from Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1961 and then worked as a Scientific Service officer for two and a half years with the Defence Research Board in Esquimalt, B.C. In 1967 he received his PH D in computer science from the University of Manchester in the field of compiler construction. After a year as a systems research associate at the University of Manitoba he became an assistant professor. In 1969 he joined the Department of Mathematics at the University of Victoria, where he is currently involved in teaching undergraduate computing science courses and pursuing research in the simulation of computer systems..

T.A. Rourke

T. A. Rourke graduated from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, with a B SC in chemistry in 1963, subsequently receiving a PH D from the same university. After a year as a research fellow in the Department of Computing Science of the University of Manitoba he joined the staff as an assistant professor in 1967. At the present time he is working in the area of computer performance evaluation in the Computer Systems and Electronics.

J.M. Wren

J. M. WREN, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, received his B sc at the University of Manitoba in 1966. Upon completing his M sc at the same institution in 1969, he was employed bySymbionics Systems of Winnipeg as a systems programmer. After an interval as software systemsanalyst with the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources in Ottawa, he is now senior systems programmer with the University of Western Ontario Computer Centre..