50 Years of Computer Simulation -- a Personal View

TL;DR

Over 50 years, computer simulation has revolutionized physics by shifting from theoretical to model-specific approaches, with a focus on particle simulations and a growing global community, yet many challenges remain.

Contribution

The paper provides a personal historical perspective on the evolution of computer simulation in physics, emphasizing the shift towards model-specific results and particle simulation techniques.

Findings

Simulation has become central to physics research.

Particle simulations offer insights into equilibrium and nonequilibrium physics.

There are ongoing challenges and gaps in simulation methods.

Abstract

In the half century since the 1950s computer simulation has transformed our understanding of physics. The rare, expensive, slow, and bulky mainframes of World War II have given way to today's millions of cheap, fast, desksized workstations and personal computers. As a result of these changes, the theoretical formal view of physics has gradually shifted, so as to focus on the pragmatic and useful. General but vague approaches are being superceded by specific results for definite models. During this evolving change of emphasis I learned, developed, and described my simulation skills at Michigan, at Duke, at Livermore, and in Nevada, while forming increasingly wide-ranging contacts around the world. Computation is now pervasive in all the scientific fields. My own focus has been on the physics of particle simulations, mainly away from equilibrium. I outline my particle work here. It has led me to a model-based understanding of both equilibrium and nonequilibrium physics. There are still some gaps. There is still much to do.