computer science

Wolfram SystemModeler

Wolfram SystemModeler is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wolfram SystemModeler rather than just read about it. In short: Wolfram System Modeler, developed by Wolfram MathCore, is a platform for engineering as well as life-science modeling and simulation based on the Modelica language. It provides an interactive graphical modeling and simulation environment and a customizable set of component libraries.

Key takeaways

Wolfram SystemModeler belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wolfram SystemModeler to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wolfram SystemModeler from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Wolfram System Modeler, developed by Wolfram MathCore, is a platform for engineering as well as life-science modeling and simulation based on the Modelica language. It provides an interactive graphical modeling and simulation environment and a customizable set of component libraries.

Interface Wolfram System Modeler's primary interface, Model Center, is an interactive graphical environment including a customizable set of component libraries. Models developed in Model Center can be simulated in the Simulation Center. The software also provides a tight integration with the Mathematica environment. Users can develop, simulate, document, and analyze their Wolfram System Modeler models within Mathematica notebooks. The software is used in the engineering field as well as in the life sciences.

Editions Originally developed by MathCore Engineering as MathModelica, it was acquired by Wolfram Research on March 30, 2011. It was then re-released as Wolfram SystemModeler on May 23, 2012, with improved integration with Wolfram Mathematica.

Modeling language Wolfram System Modeler uses the free object-oriented modeling language Modelica, a language designed for the modeling of physical systems and designed to support library development and model exchange. It is a modern language built on acausal modeling with mathematical equations and object-oriented constructs to facilitate reuse of modeling knowledge. Since Version 11.3, the Wolfram Language supports direct access to Modelica libraries for system simulation and analysis from a notebook interface.

See also OpenModelica JModelica.org AMESim APMonitor Modelica Mathematica Modelling Simulation Simulink Computer simulation Dymola SimulationX MapleSim

References

External links Announcing Wolfram SystemModeler Wolfram MathCore, original developer of MathModelica Wolfram Research, developer of Mathematica

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wolfram SystemModeler

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wolfram SystemModeler claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wolfram SystemModeler before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wolfram SystemModeler ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wolfram SystemModeler

In research: Wolfram SystemModeler appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wolfram SystemModeler in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wolfram SystemModeler is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer-aided engineering, Object-oriented programming, Simulation programming languages, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wolfram SystemModeler outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Wolfram SystemModeler in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wolfram SystemModeler means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Wolfram SystemModeler out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wolfram SystemModeler in simple terms?

Why does Wolfram SystemModeler matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wolfram SystemModeler?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wolfram SystemModeler.