If you're asking about computer modeling systems, they are methods of applying the variables affecting a problem and stepping the software through it to see how it behaves when different solutions are applied.
An example would be a program used to test trading systems for the stock market. You would load all of the historical prices in the computer and step by step apply the algorithm as a trader would do it, then compare the profit for each test to choose the best system.
It's essentially a form of "reverse engineering."