Abstract: Factor screening searches for the really important inputs (factors) among the many inputs that are changed in a realistic simulation experiment. Sequential bifurcation (or SB) is a sequential method that changes groups of inputs simultaneously. SB is the most e¢ cient and effective...

Optimization of simulated systems is the goal of many methods, but most methods as- sume known environments. We, however, develop a `robust' methodology that accounts for uncertain environments. Our methodology uses Taguchi's view of the uncertain world, but replaces his statistical techniques...

Abstract: To analyze the input/output behavior of simulation models with multiple responses, we may apply either univariate or multivariate Kriging (Gaussian Process) models. Univariate Kriging may use a popular MATLAB Kriging toolbox called \DACE'. Multivariate Kriging faces a major problem:...

Abstract: This article surveys optimization of simulated systems. The simulation may be either deterministic or random. The survey reflects the author’s extensive experience with simulation-optimization through Kriging (or Gaussian process) metamodels. The analysis of these metamodels may use...

Abstract: This paper investigates two related questions: (1) How to derive a confidence interval for the output of a combination of simulation inputs not yet simulated? (2) How to select the next combination to be simulated when searching for the optimal combination? To answer these questions,...

This paper studies simulation-based optimization with multiple outputs. It assumes that the simulation model has one random objective function and must satisfy given constraints on the other random outputs. It presents a statistical procedure for test- ing whether a specific input combination...

This paper presents a novel heuristic for constrained optimization of random computer simulation models, in which one of the simulation outputs is selected as the objective to be minimized while the other outputs need to satisfy prespeci¯ed target values. Besides the simulation outputs, the...

Abstract: Distribution-free bootstrapping of the replicated responses of a given discreteevent simulation model gives bootstrapped Kriging (Gaussian process) metamodels; we require these metamodels to be either convex or monotonic. To illustrate monotonic Kriging, we use an M/M/1 queueing...

Monte Carlo methods are simulation algorithms to estimate a numerical quantity in a statistical model of a real system. These algorithms are executed by computer programs. Variance reduction techniques (VRT) are needed, even though computer speed has been increasing dramatically, ever since the...

In practice, simulation analysts often change only one factor at a time, and use graphical analysis of the resulting Input/Output (I/O) data. The goal of this article is to change these traditional, naïve methods of design and analysis, because statistical theory proves that more information is...