Re:virus: Virus, Economics and Evolution

Sean Morgan (sean.morgan@sap-ag.de)
Thu, 4 May 1995 23:32:47 +0200


When I had a Mac, I had a continuous processs simulator called Stella.
The models that came with it were rather interesting: besides things
like oil refineries, it could be used to simulate predator and prey
populations, civil disorder and food supply, etc. Real Harry Seldon
stuff.

Stella uses a digital computer to simulate an analog process. I have
also used analog computers (inductors, capacitors, resistors...but NO
transistors) to simulate car suspensions and nuclear reactors.

If the differential equations of two systems are the same, it doesn't
matter whether you're talking about electrical currents or the money
supply -- the behavior of the model will predict that of the actual
system. Remind me to show you my isomorphism party trick (it's
interactive, can't do it by email).

Sean Morgan