Unfair Coin Flip

[pocaracas]

Hammy, if I was to write a computer program to SIMULATE a dice throw, would the computer actually throw dice?

That's rather a false analogy if you ask me. Because if this computer program had some sort of virtual simulation of a dice throw then yes that's obviously a simulation.

But not just any old thing that achieves the same purpose of X=simulating X. Since when does that mean 'simulate'?

Simulate is not emulate.

Nor is 'achieve the same purpose of' 'simulate'.

1.
to create a simulation, likeness, or model of (a situation, system, or the like):
to simulate crisis conditions.
2.
to make a pretense of; feign:
to simulate knowledge.
3.
to assume or have the appearance or characteristics of:
He simulated the manners of the rich.

None of these mean 'achieve the same purpose of'.

Merely doing lots of actual coin flips with an unfair coin and then ignoring certain results to achieve the same effects. Since when is doing anything like that a simulation?

1. Does a model of a thing not achieve the same purpose of the thing? And if it does not achieve said purpose, is it not a bad model?
2. Does the simulation suggested by Tibs not feign the result of a single fair coin toss?
3.... this one is not applicable...



But I get it... you don't like the word "simulation" there.... Tell me, now that it's perfectly clear what was to be achieved, which word would you suggest?