The answer depends on many factors. These include: (i) whether there is an interaction between the entity and the environment, (ii) whether the model has a temporal component, (iii) whether the model is a group or individual-level model, (iv) whether the model is continuous or discrete, and ( v) Is it Markovian. Brennan’s taxonomy of model structures helps to outline which model type to choose based on these considerations.
The above table is from Breeze et al. (2023)but adapted from Brennan et al. year 2006 and Briggs et al. 2016.
provide some examples of what Breeze et al. (2023) Terminology complex system model:
Computable general equilibrium (CGE) models have been used to model choices with cross-sectoral effects affecting national economic indicators. Partial differential equation models can be used to describe the dynamics of infectious disease transmission. Both CGE and partial differential equation models have important similarities to system dynamics and describe aggregate populations. In infectious disease modeling, the term “individual-based model” is often used for ABM [agent-based models]. IBM has long been used to incorporate spatial and sociodemographic structures related to transmission and is often used to model COVID-19 and influence policy decisions. IBM can easily incorporate behavioral changes to predict their impact on transport dynamics
