Definition

Noun A simulation time scale where events are processed or displayed slower than real time. This occurs when the time-scale factor (the ratio of simulation time to real time) is greater than one, meaning a short period of real time represents a longer period within the simulated system.

Usage

This term is used primarily in the context of computer simulations, data processing, and modeling. It describes a mode where the simulation's internal clock runs faster than the wall-clock time, allowing users to observe long-term processes in a shorter real-time duration.

Examples

• The climate model ran on an extended time scale, simulating 100 years of planetary warming in just 10 hours of computation.
• To analyze the long-term economic effects, the researchers processed the data on an extended time scale.
• Using an extended time scale in the simulation allowed us to quickly observe the galaxy's evolution over millions of years.

Advanced Usage

• Conceptual Extension: While technical, the concept can be applied metaphorically to describe any analytical process that compresses a long sequence of events into a shorter period for review.
  • The documentary used archival footage to present the century's history on an extended time scale, fitting it into a two-hour film.

Variants and Related Words

• Time-Scale Factor (n): The numerical ratio of simulated time to real processing time. An extended time scale has a time-scale factor > 1.
• Fast-Time Simulation (n): A synonym often used in engineering and training contexts, describing a simulation running on an extended time scale.
• Compressed-Time Scale (n): A related but sometimes distinct concept where events are sped up uniformly for observation, common in video playback or certain simulations.

Synonyms

• Fast-time simulation
• Accelerated time scale (Note: This can be ambiguous, as it sometimes refers to the within the simulation, not the processing scale.)

Antonyms

• Real-time scale: Time-scale factor equals one.
• Slowed time scale / Retarded time scale: Time-scale factor is less than one, where simulation runs slower than real time.

Noun

1. (simulation) the time scale used in data processing when the time-scale factor is greater than one