Relationships

Mathematical simulation models perform many calculations using equations. The coefficients used in these equations will determine the outcomes of the simulation. For example, the coefficients provided for different ruminant breeds differentiate how they perform in the model. These values are often provided as parameters representing variables in the equation, but there are other occasions where the relationship does not follow a simple mathematical formula. For such situations a Relationship component is offered where a sequence of x and y values are provided to define the simplified or detailed shape of the relationship. Properties of this component allow the simulation to solve the equation for any value of x or y by interpolation.

The Relationship running value component tracks a running value, changing it as a function of the relationship where y is the change in the value for a given value of x. This functionality is used to track changes in the land condition index and grass basal area of pasture as a result of pasture utilisation.