SELECTED SIMULATION EXERCISES

Exercise 4-1

People arrive at a newsstand at the rate of one every 10 ( 5 seconds. Most people buy only one paper but 20% buy two papers. It takes 5 ( 3 seconds to buy one paper and 7 ( 3 seconds to buy two papers. Simulate the sale of 100 papers, starting from the time the newsstand opens.

Exercise 4-2

A series of moving stairways carry customers in an upward direction between four floors of a department store. People arrive at the foot of the stairs, on the first floor, at the rate of one every second. Some people walk on the stairs. As a result, the time to transfer between successive floors is found to be 20 ( 10 seconds. The destinations of the customers are as follows: second floor, 50%; third floor, 25%; and fourth floor, 25%. Simulate the arrival of 100 people on the top floor, starting from the time the store opens.

Exercise 4-3

People arrive at an exhibition at the rate of one every 3 ( 2 minutes. The exhibition is arranged in three rooms. Everybody goes to rooms A and C but 20% of them miss room B. Simulate the system, assuming that each room takes 40 ( 5 minutes. Arrange for 500 people to pass through the exhibition.

Exercise 4-4

Twenty people simultaneously take a test that requires 5 ( 2 minutes. Their chance of success is such that 20% fail on each trial. Those that fail wait 10 minutes before taking the test again. They keep retrying until they finally pass. Arrange to pass all the people, and measure how long it takes.

Exercise 4-6

People arrive at a cafeteria at the rate of one every 15 ( 5 seconds. There are two counters, A and B, and people want items from them in the following proportions: A only, 30%; A and then B, 60%; and B only, 10%. Simulate completion of service to 100 people. Time at A is 15 ( 10; at B 30 ( 15.

Exercise 4-7

The delivery of some product is