Article on the application of the Volterra-Lotka model to managing competition in the marketplace. Provides insights into a set of elementary marketing actions that has emerged that provide guidance when searching for a commercial image or an effective advertising message. Download the piece here. (PDF)

In just a few minutes, you’ll learn what you need to know about Simulation Science, also referred to as Operational Research (O.R.). It is a brochure written for busy executives by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. Download the piece here (PDF).

Complexity theory is at the forefront of science and math. It is being used to map biological events and forecast earthquakes. Can it be useful in manufacturing? The answer is yes, but… Download the piece here (PDF).

Inspiration for the next Coca-Cola or Unilever marketing campaign might come from a computer game that looks an awful lot like The Sims. Written by Allison Fass in the November 2005 issues of Forbes. Download the piece here (URL).

Scientists are planning to use the largest supercomputers to simulate life on Earth, including the financial system, economies and whole societies. The project is called “Living Earth Simulator” and part of a huge EU research initiative named FuturIcT. You can read the article online at ScienceDaily (May 28, 2010). In a practical sense, the scientists behind the project foresee the development of crises observatories and decision-support systems for politicians and business leaders. “Such observatories would detect advance warning signs of many different kinds of emerging problems,” says Dirk Helbing, “including large-scale congestion, financial instabilities, the spreading of diseases, environmental change, resource shortages and social conflicts.”

Proctor & Gamble used simulations that pointed the way to a supply chain restructuring that would consolidate P&G’s North American plants by 20% and lower supply chain costs by $200 million a year. This article provides a great overview of how they structure their Global Analytics practice. See the full article here (off-site link).

It stocks your grocery store, schedules your favorite team’s games, and helps plan your vacation. A primer on the most influential academic discipline you’ve never heard of. By Virginia Postrel in The Boston Globe, June 27, 2004 Read the full article here (offsite link).

Agent-based simulations are allowing companies to build silicon versions of themselves, piece by piece and person by person. Article written by Mark Buchanan and published in strategy+business. Download the piece here (URL).