From Raw Data to Measurement Results – Epistemological Problems in Data Analysis

Session

Monte Carlo Simulations

13 Nov 2025, 12:00

JvF25/3-303 - Conference Room (Lamarr/RC Trust Dortmund)

10. Monte Carlo In Silico. A Travel Guide

Prof. Claus Beisbart (University of Bern)

13/11/2025, 12:00

Monte Carlo computer simulations and methods have been widely used in physics for many decades, particularly in data analysis. Despite that, the growing philosophical literature about computer simulations has largely bracketed them. This talk aims to fill in this lacuna. I provide an overview of various Monte Carlo techniques as they are applied in physics, covering Monte Carlo integration,...

7. What is so special about Monte Carlo Simulations?

Johannes Mierau

13/11/2025, 14:15

Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) are the method of choice for the simulation chain in (astro-)particle physics. Even though there exists an extensive philosophical debate on the epistemic nature of computer simulations, the reasons for preferring MCSs have not been addressed. In my talk I claim that analyzing these reasons sheds light on the debate on the epistemic nature.
In (astro-)particle...