Simulation verification, validation and confidence: A tutorial

The concepts of simulation verification and validation (V&V) are explored as well as some methods of V&V. By mapping the requirements for V&V onto the simulation modelling process, six forms of validation are identified: conceptual model validation, data validation, white-box validation, black-box validation, experimentation validation and solution validation. The difficulties of performing V&V are discussed, from which it is concluded that it is not possible to validate a model and its results, but only to increase the level of confidence that is placed in them. Following this, for each form of V&V some of the more commonly used methods of V&V are identified.