This book analyses the impact computerization has had on contemporary science and explains the origins, technical nature and epistemological consequences of the current decisive interplay between technology and science: an intertwining of formalism, computation, data acquisition, data and visualization and how these factors have led to the spread of simulation models since the 1950s.
Using historical, comparative and interpretative case studies from a range of disciplines, with a particular emphasis on the case of plant studies, the author shows how and why computers, data treatment devices and programming languages have occasioned a gradual but irresistible and massive shift from mathematical models to computer simulations.
Contents ; List of figures;Acknowledgments ;List of French abbreviations
; Introduction ;
Chapter 1 Geometric and botanic simulation ; 1 The
probabilistic simulation of branching biological shapes: Cohen (1966) ;2 The
epistemic functions of modular programming, simulation and visualization;3
The first geometric and realistic simulation of trees (Honda-Fisher,
1971-1977) ;4 The limitations of morphometry and of thermodynamics of trees
;5 The first geometric simulation of an actual tree: Terminalia ;6 A recap of
geometric simulation ;
Chapter 2: The logical model and algorithmic
simulation of algae ; 1 A botanist won over by logical positivism: the theory
of lifecycles by A. Lindenmayer (1963-1965) ;2 Unusable set of axioms and
used set of axioms ;3 From logical theory to automata theory (1966-1967) ;4
The developmental model and the rules of rewriting (1968) ;5 The dispute with
Brian Carey Goodwin regarding natural formalisms ;6 Recap: the computer as
automata model and deductive machine;
Chapter 3: The limitations of biometric
models and the transition to simulation in agronomy; 1 The institutional and
technical context of the IFCC (1966-1971);2 Transferring a little bit of
econometrics to biometrics: a problem of optimization (1974);3 The first
application of plant simulation in agronomics (1974-1975) ;4 Fragmented
modelling and geometric simulation: de Reffye (1975-1981);5 Simulation,
imitation and the sub-symbolic use of formalisms;
Chapter 4: A random and
universal architectural simulation ; 1 Making headway in botany: the notion
of architectural model (1966-1978) ;2 The search for botanical realism
(1978-1979) ;3 Criticisms of theoretical models ;4 Criticisms of biometric
models ;5 A mixed reception (1979-1981);
Chapter 5: Convergence between
integrative simulation and computer graphics ; 1 The relaunch of research
into architectural simulation (1985-1991) ;2 Jaegers thesis: the prefixed
model and synthesis of botanical images (1987) ;3 Blaises thesis: the
simulation of buds parallelism (1991) ;4 How can an integrative simulation be
validated?;
Chapter 6: Convergence between universal simulation and forestry
(1990-1998) ; 1 An epistemological dispute between modellers: INRA and CIRAD
;2 Conceptual and institutional convergence: the CIRAD/INRA partner
laboratory (1995);3 The empirical value of simulation ;4 Supra-simulations ;
Chapter 7: The remathematization of simulations (from 1998 onwards) ; 1 The
first mixed structure-function model: water efficiency (1997-1999) ;2 The
parallel evolution of algorithmic simulation: 1984-1994 ;3 Simulating the
individual plant in order to observe crop functioning (1997-2000) ;4 The
association between AMAP and INRIA: sub-structures and factorization
(1998-2006);5 Recap: pluriformalized simulation and convergence between
disciplines;
Chapter 8: Twenty-one functions of models and three types of
simulations Classifications and applications ; 1 General function, main
functions and specific functions of models ;2 General characterization and
classification of computer simulations ;3 System simulation, model
simulation, system-simulation model and model-simulation model ;4
Applications to different plant models and plant simulations; Conclusion ;
Glossary ;Selected Bibliography ;Index of names ;Index of subjects
Franck Varenne is Associate Professor of philosophy of science at the University of Rouen (Normandy France) and associate researcher at IHPST (CNRS Paris). His research focuses on the history and epistemology of formal models and computer simulations in contemporary science, especially in biology and geography. He has published around fifty-five articles and chapters. He has also published eight books and co-edited three collective books.
