Computational model

{{Short description|Mathematical model of a complex system}}

{{for|mathematical models of computers|Model of computation}}

A computational model uses computer programs to simulate and study complex systems{{Cite web |title=Computational Modeling |url=https://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/science-topics/computational-modeling |date=May 2020 |access-date=2023-06-27 |website=National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering |language=en}} using an algorithmic or mechanistic approach and is widely used in a diverse range of fields spanning from physics,{{Cite web |title=Computational Modelling in Space Physics |url=https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/39950/computational-modelling-in-space-physics |access-date=2023-06-27 |website=Frontiers Research Topic |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627140510/https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/39950/computational-modelling-in-space-physics |archive-date= 2023-06-27 }} engineering,{{Cite web |title=What is Computational Engineering? |url=https://www.ae.utexas.edu/undergraduate/computational-undergrad-program/what-is-computational-engineering |access-date=2023-06-27 |website=Dept of Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics - Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin }} chemistry{{Cite web |title=Computational Molecular Modeling - an overview |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/computational-molecular-modeling |access-date=2023-06-27 |website=ScienceDirect Topics |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627140510/https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/computational-molecular-modeling |archive-date=2023-06-27 }} and biology{{Cite web |date=2021-04-14 |title=Computational Modeling in Developmental Biology |url=https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/Computational-Modeling-in-Developmental-Biology.aspx |first1=Reginald |last1=Davey |access-date=2023-06-27 |website=News-Medical.net |language=en}} to economics, psychology, cognitive science and computer science.

The system under study is often a complex nonlinear system{{Cite book |last1=Grubb |first1=Amanda L. |last2=Moushegian |first2=Alex |last3=Heathcote |first3=Daniel J. |last4=Smith |first4=Marilyn J. |date=2020-01-06 |title=Physics and Computational Modeling of Nonlinear Transverse Gust Encounters |url=https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/6.2020-0080 |language=en |publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics |doi=10.2514/6.2020-0080 |isbn=978-1-62410-595-1|s2cid=213530407 }} for which simple, intuitive analytical solutions are not readily available. Rather than deriving a mathematical analytical solution to the problem, experimentation with the model is done by adjusting the parameters of the system in the computer, and studying the differences in the outcome of the experiments.{{Cite web|title=Computational models - Latest research and news |url=https://www.nature.com/subjects/computational-models|access-date=2021-04-08|website=Nature }} Operation theories of the model can be derived/deduced from these computational experiments.

Examples of common computational models are weather forecasting models, earth simulator models, flight simulator models, molecular protein folding models, Computational Engineering Models (CEM),{{Cite web |title=Computational Modelling in Engineering |url=https://www.fer.unizg.hr/en/studies/cro/master/fer3/computing/cme |access-date=2023-06-27 |website=University of Zagreb Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing |language=en}} and neural network models.