Topics and features:

• Introduces the key modelling methods and tools, including heuristic and mathematical programming-based models, and queuing theory and simulation techniques
• Demonstrates the use of heuristic methods to not only solve complex decision-making problems, but also to derive a simpler solution technique
• Presents case studies on a broad range of applications that make use of techniques from genetic algorithms and fuzzy logic, tabu search, and queuing theory
• Reviews examples incorporating system dynamics modelling, cellular automata and agent-based simulations, and the use of big data
• Contains appendices covering queuing theory, function optimization techniques, Boolean and fuzzy logic, and transport modelling
• Describes simulation for the evaluation of production planning and control methods, and a model for matching services with users in opportunistic network environments

Researchers, practitioners and students in computer science, engineering and business studies will find this work to be an invaluable and in-depth introduction to the use of simulation techniques in the analysis of large and complex problems, in addition to providing an exhaustive description of the theoretical framework and applications being developed to address such problems.