Engineering Modeling Using a Design Paradigm: A Graphical Programming-Based Example

Engineers combine design paradigms or methods for problem solving (“OED Online”, 2004) with mathematical modeling techniques to predict the success of their designs, a method that they have found to be accurate and repeatable. However, computer models are not just used in traditional engineering design and practice. Many computer games have complex mathematical models hidden behind their interfaces. Beyond the obvious examples, such as the SimsTM and SimCityTM, the “first person shooters” contain extensive physics models, so that thrown objects and jumping characters behave correctly on the screen (“Best of What's New 2005”, 2005; Tamaki, 2006; Terzopoulos, 1999).