BABCOCK UNIVERSITY, ILISHAN-REMO, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA.

SCHOOL OF COMPUTING AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
SECOND SEMESTER – 2017/2018 ACADEMIC SESSION
FINAL EXAMINATION
COURSE: MODELLING AND SIMULATION CODE: COSC 408
FACILITATORS: PROF. OLUDELE AWODELE & MR. ERNEST ONUIRI ALOTTED TIME: 150MINS
INSTRUCTIONS:
i. Boldly write your class number at the top of your answer booklet.
ii. Answer FOUR questions in all. Question SIX is COMPULSORY.
iii. You are advised not to spend more than 60 minutes on question six and about 30 minutes each on the others.
iv. Question six carries 40 marks while the others carry 20 marks each, totaling 100 marks.

QUESTION ONE
a. A box contains 25 copper plugs, 6 oversize and 9 undersize. A plug is taken, tested but not replaced: a second
plug is then treated similarly. Determine the probability that (i) both plugs are acceptable (ii) the first is oversize
and the second undersize; (iii) one is oversize and the other undersize. [6 marks]
b. In manufacturing, the following concepts are of profound relevance: (i) sampling, (ii) sample size and (iii)
probability theory in simulation modelling. Why is this so? [6 marks]
c. In queuing theory, customers sometimes renege and at other times, they balk. Using a relevant scenario, what
does this mean and what consequences does this sort of behaviour have on businesses? [4 marks]
d. What is the implication for a queuing model in which the last three parameters of the Kendall-Lee notation are
left out? Name two queuing model examples that fit this description. [4 marks]

QUESTION TWO

a. Risks are inevitable in life. A particular model type is especially tailored towards the solving of problems that
encapsulates risk. Name the model type in question and illustrate with the use of a good example the workings of
the named model type. [6 marks]
b. With the aid of a healthy scenario justify why simulation modelling is sometimes adopted even when there is
profound evidence suggesting that a problem can be solved analytically. [5 marks]
c. Using terms that a layman would understand, describe with the aid of a scenario, why Markovian analysis which
is often used in queuing theory to specify service time, adopts a negative exponential distribution? [5 marks]
d. Delay which also implies response time is a combination of queuing (waiting) time and service time. With the
aid of a queuing system diagram only, show this relationship. [4 marks]

QUESTION THREE

a. With the aid of a good example, explicitly discuss the relationship that exists between performance metrics,
benchmarking and performance evaluation. [7 marks]
b. Based on the experiment in an article titled “Discrete Event Simulation of Queuing Systems”, which was
discussed in class, the results showed that a single channel, multiple (three) server mechanism is more efficient
than a multiple channel, multiple (three) server mechanism. Note that both cases had identical number of servers.
Discuss the factors that may have influenced the outcome of the experiment. [5 marks]
c. It has been posited in some quarters that discrete event simulation is an instance of analytical models. What does
this mean and what is your take on this? [4 marks]
d. Explain the rationale suggesting that a vendor selling newspapers on a street corner is an example of a single-
channel, single-phase system. [4 marks]

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QUESTION FOUR

a. Propose and consequently discuss with the aid of a suitable case study, a queuing model that satisfies the following
constraints: arrival follows the Poisson process, service time is Markovian, single server, an infinite buffer size,
a bounded customer base of 750. [7 marks]
b. Below are four basic component features that can be used to illustrate the modelling process. Briefly highlight
what each of these component features stand for. [5 marks]

NATURE MODEL ANALYSIS DESIGN

c. If we are going to simulate a stochastic problem such as that pertaining to weather forecasting, we must run the
simulation many times, using multiple sets of random numbers. Why is this so? [4 marks]
d. Of all the various types of costs in queuing theory, calling cost is said to be the most difficult to ascertain. What
does this mean? [4 marks]

QUESTION FIVE
a. If we decide to use Markov analysis to study the transfer of technology, we can only study the transitions among
three different technologies. Exhaustively discuss this phenomenon. a scenario will be useful [7 marks]
b. With the use of a well-articulated case study, discuss how models can be used to understand the internal workings
of a biological system. [5 marks]
c. In probability theory, occurrences can be mutually exclusive or mutually non-exclusive. Use a scenario to
represent both instances. [4 marks]
d. Use a simple scenario to justify the claim that models are never equal to the real systems. [4 marks]

QUESTION SIX
Scenario: Leo University is a faith-based institution of higher learning that provides accommodation for over ninety
percent of enrolled students. Consequently, the University Central Cafeteria is saddled with the responsibility of serving
meals to resident students of the institution. Furthermore, breakfast is served between 6 and 9am, lunch is served between
12 noon and 3pm, whereas supper is served between 5 and 9pm. At Leo University, there are 9,757 students and only
764 are non-residents. At meal times, thousands of students troop to the cafeteria. Therefore, to enhance the provision of
efficient and student-friendly services at the cafeteria, they must adopt a multi-server, multi-channel, multi-phase queuing
model, since the identities of the students must be verified before they are allowed entry into the facility. At the beginning
of each semester, students are given meal tickets to cater for the entire semester. The meal tickets are not transferable.
Assume that foods are served in disposable packs and students do not eat in the cafeteria, hence there are no dining tables.
a. Neatly draw the lifecycle (expanded version) of simulation model development and discuss in-depth, the first six
phases, highlighting why the entire process is said to be an iterative one. [13 marks]
b. According to the diagram in your solution to question 6a, experimental design, simulation runs and analysis/more
runs are activities of a major phase of the model development lifecycle. Identify this phase and discuss its
importance in building viable simulation models. [5 marks]
c. The problem statement with respect to the scenario above is to evaluate the performance of the cafeteria system,
hence you are required to carry out the said evaluation by formulating/developing the;
i. conceptual model. [4 marks]
ii. specification model (with all possible assumptions). [8 marks]
iii. computational model strictly focusing on the adopted queuing model that fits the illustrated scenario vis-
à-vis a justification of the queuing model, based on the Kendall-Lee Notation. What will happen if the
rate at which customers arrive, is equal to the rate at which service is dispensed? [10mks]
GUIDE: Kendall-Lee Notation entails: A/S/c/K/N/D where A = Arrival Process; S = Service Time; c = Number of
Servers; K = Maximum number of customers allowed in queue; N = Calling Population and D = Queue Discipline

GOD BLESS YOU AND BEST WISHES!!!

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