Editing Model (section)

== Uses of models ==
According to Bruce Edmonds, there are at least 5 general uses for models:<ref>{{Cite book |publisher=Springer International Publishing |isbn=978-3-319-66948-9 |pages=39–58 |editor1=Bruce Edmonds |editor2=Ruth Meyer |last=Edmonds |first=Bruce |title=Simulating Social Complexity: A Handbook |chapter=Different Modelling Purposes |series=Understanding Complex Systems |location=Cham |access-date=2025-03-26 |date=2017 |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-66948-9_4 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66948-9_4}}</ref>

* '''Prediction''': reliably anticipating unknown data, including data within the domain of the training data ([[interpolation]]), and outside the domain ([[extrapolation]])
* '''Explanation''': establishing plausible chains of causality by proposing mechanisms that can explain patterns seen in data
* '''Theoretical exposition''': discovering or proposing new hypotheses, or refuting existing hypotheses about the behaviour of the system being modelled
* '''Description''': representing important aspects of the system being modelled
* '''Illustration''': communicating an idea or explanation