A brief introduction to Monte Carlo simulation

Abstract

Simulation affects our life every day through our interactions with the automobile, airline and entertainment industries, just to name a few. The use of simulation in drug development is relatively new, but its use is increasing in relation to the speed at which modern computers run. One well known example of simulation in drug development is molecular modelling. Another use of simulation that is being seen recently in drug development is Monte Carlo simulation of clinical trials. Monte Carlo simulation differs from traditional simulation in that the model parameters are treated as stochastic or random variables, rather than as fixed values. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to Monte Carlo simulation methods.