BrixMS - Context Independent Modelling and Simulation

Abstract

The global society is facing a number of Grand Challenges, problems that are often ill- defined and for which time is running out. Finding potential solutions requires the use of Modelling and Simulation (M&S) tools that can facilitate large scale collaborative and multi-perspective efforts. Ideally this is done by building across contexts on each other’s insights and contributions as if they were bricks. However, current M&S software does not support context independent bricks due to a variety of rigid bindings; the bricks are essentially glued to a context and cannot easily be reused. In this research we combine the fields of M&S and Computer Science to determine under which circumstances context independent bricks can exist. We took the current concepts about components and applied a low coupling high cohesion attitude to create a new flexible structure, the Brix; we formally defined this structure in the Brix Formalism. Furthermore we built a proof-of-concept system named BrixMS in JavaScript that can simulate models built in context independent bricks. BrixMS offers little in the way of features, yet it has the potential to simulate any computable system with an unmatched flexibility and reusability. While hard limits exist in terms of how we can represent Grand Challenges and how much we can compute, BrixMS proves that context independent bricks are a practical reality that we can use to more effectively find solutions to our Grand Challenges.