Reconstructing Reality

Abstract

Abstract Attempts to understand various aspects of the empirical world often rely on modelling processes that involve a reconstruction of the system(s) under investigation. Typically the reconstruction uses mathematical frameworks like gauge theory and renormalisation group methods, but more recently simulations also have become an indispensable tool for investigation. In fact, many areas of physics as well as other disciplines rely on simulation knowledge when traditional experiments are impossible or prohibitively expensive. This book is a philosophical examination of the various techniques and assumptions related to modelling and simulation, with the goal of showing how these abstract descriptions can contribute to our understanding of the physical world. Particular issues include the role of fictional models in science, how mathematical formalisms can yield physical information, and how we should approach the use of inconsistent models for specific types of systems. It also addresses the role of simulation, specifically the conditions under which simulation can be seen as a technique for measurement, replacing more traditional experimental approaches. Inherent worries about the legitimacy of simulation "knowledge" are also addressed, including an analysis of verification and validation and the role of simulation data in the search for the Higgs boson. In light of the significant role played by simulation in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments, it is argued that the traditional distinction between simulation and experiment is no longer applicable in some contexts of modern science. Consequently, a reevaluation of the way and extent to which simulation delivers empirical knowledge is required.

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