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on bodies moving through the gases. In physics,
simulation has been applied to analysis of the
dark matter, material that is believed to make up
more than 90% of the mass of the universe but
is not readily visible because it neither emits nor
reflects electromagnetic radiation such as light
or radio signals. In geology, simulated dynamic
events provide understanding of the origin of
rocks. Petrology, a branch of geology, is spe-
cifically concerned with the origin, composition,
structure, and properties of rocks. Processes have
been simulated, to clarify the events determined
by the forces that change some kinds of igneous
and metamorphic rocks into sedimentary ones.
In medicine, Body Simulation for Anesthesia is
an interactive PC-based multi-media software
program for teaching and training in the field of
anesthesia with user interface that represents the
operating room environment. Users may explore
scientific and clinical aspects as they run through
life-like cases. Simulation has been applied in
biology to study homology (the correspondence
between structures and the similarities in func-
tion in different species). Motion sensing devices
based on acceleration rather than on steady motion
may simulate and control a virtual glider or create
virtual driving or snowboarding. Electronic circuit
simulators serve the experimental and instructional
purposes. Real-time simulations allow estimating
probabilities related to the market events, weather
conditions, or chemical reactions. Models may
serve for exploring biological processes; for
example, they help to study how certain organs
having different structure in various species relate
to similar functions they perform. Some simula-
tions are models of ongoing events such as military
operations or human behavior; in such cases they
are running on networked computers. Architects
cooperate with computer graphic firms to create
models for customers and builders that show pos-
sible relationship of a building with the environ-
ment and its surrounding buildings. Architectural
simulation tools allow an architect to visualize
a space and perform interactive demonstrations
and explanations.
Many times simulation units take form of a
room, such as CAVE (Cruz-Neira, Sandin, De-
Fanti, Kenyon, & Hart, 1992) or EON Reality
ICUBEā„¢ (www.eonreality.com/products_icube.
html) immersive systems. In the CAVE immersive
virtual reality environments projectors create
and display a one-to-many visualization tool that
utilizes large projection screens. Currently, im-
mersive, interactive VR environments are used as
a public display medium at universities, engineer-
ing companies, commercial industry, museums,
galleries, conferences, and festivals.
EVOLUTIONARY COMPUTING
Evolutionary computing utilizes features of natural
selection and genetic inheritance when applying
computers as tools for automatic optimization and
design. The study of biological evolution revealed
mechanisms that enable life forms to adapt to
their environments over successive generations:
reproduction, mutation, and the Darwinian prin-
ciple of survival of the fittest. Main approaches
to evolutionary computing: genetic algorithms,
evolution strategies, evolutionary programming,
and genetic programming are dealing with a ran-
dom or semi random set of possible solutions and a
fitness function - a feedback system that measures
how well each individual within the population
performs the designated task or defines how close
is a design solution from the designer's goal.
Genetic programming is often described as a
biology-inspired method based on evolutionary
algorithms, which is used for finding computer
programs that perform a given task; it is consid-
ered a machine learning technique for optimizing
a set of computer programs. A fitness function
indicates how close a string of numbers (denoted
as a chromosome) is to meeting the specification.
In the field of genetic algorithms, designing a
fitness function is performed to find workable
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