Technoscientific Research, 2nd Edition

5 Mathematical modelling

The Hungarian-American mathematician, computer scientist and polymath John von Neumann (1903–1957) – who directly contributed to the development of mathematical models in quantum physics, computer science, fluid dynamics, game theory and economics – emphasised the role of models in science by saying: “The sciences do not try to explain, they hardly even try to interpret, they mainly make models”¹. Various kinds of models, overviewed in Section 5.1, have been constructed and used in science over centuries of its development. In the times of technoscience, however, mathematical models have dominated the research practice that largely relies on the use of computers as research tools. This chapter is entirely devoted ...