15TH EUROPEAN SIMULATION 
SYMPOSIUM AND EXHIBITION
October 26-29, 2003
Delft, The Netherlands
 

Invited Plenary speech
Prof. Osman Balci (Virginia Tech / ORCA)



Meeting the Challenges of Verification, Validation, and Certification of Complex Models and Simulations

Professor Osman Balci
Department of Computer Science
660 McBryde Hall, MC 0106
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA 

balci@vt.edu
http://manta.cs.vt.edu/balci

Abstract

Assessment of transformational accuracy (verification), assessment of behavioral or representational accuracy (validation), and independently assuring sufficient credibility (certification) of complex models and simulations pose significant technical and managerial challenges. A number of solutions for meeting the challenges are provided based on experience gained in verification, validation, and certification (VV&C) of complex models and simulations sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense. Simulation Conceptual Modeling is introduced and its role in VV&C of complex models and simulations is explained. A unifying methodology and a Web-based distributed software system are presented to overcome some of the challenges and enable collaborative evaluations for VV&C by subject matter experts who are geographically dispersed. The solutions presented are applicable for any kind of modeling and simulation project.

Biography

Osman Balci is Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech and President of Orca Computer, Inc. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees from Bogazici University in 1975 and 1977, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Syracuse University in 1978 and 1981. Dr. Balci has served as the Editor-in-Chief of two international journals: Annals of Software Engineering, 1993-2002 and World Wide Web, 1996-2000. He currently serves as the Verification, Validation and Accreditation (VV&A) Area Editor of ACM Transactions on Modeling and Computer Simulation and Modeling and Simulation (M&S) Category Editor of ACM Computing Reviews. He serves as a member of the Winter Simulation Conference Board of Directors representing the Society for M&S International. Most of Dr. Balci's work has been funded by the U.S. Navy since 1983. Since 1998, he has been providing technical services for the U.S. National Missile Defense and Missile Defense Agency programs in the areas of complex M&S VV&A and complex system IV&V. His current areas of expertise center on software engineering; e-systems engineering (e.g., e-business, e-solutions); M&S; VV&A, certification, quality assurance, risk assessment, and credibility assessment of (a) M&S applications, (b) software systems, and (c) complex systems. His e-mail and Web addresses are balci@vt.edu and http://manta.cs.vt.edu/balci.


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