Comparison of Berkeley Madonna to STELLA

Berkeley Madonna

Strengths:

· Fast execution (Compiled code nearly as fast as C or FORTRAN; 10 to 100 X faster than STELLA)

· Stand-alone simulation capability (STELLA not required)

· Supports ordinary differential equations, finite difference equations, and stochastic equations.

· Fits models to external data (parameter estimation)

· Solves boundary value problems

· Performs sensitivity analyses

· Relatively inexpensive

· Saved files are not very large (Kb)

Weaknesses:

· GUI not as capable as STELLA’s

· Modifying models is more involved

· Pedagogical tools are limited

STELLA

Strengths:

· Easy to use, feature-rich object-oriented GUI

· Modifying models is quick and easy

· Excellent pedagogical tools with many features for teaching techniques of modeling

· Supports ordinary differential equations, finite difference equations, and stochastic equations.

· Performs sensitivity analyses

Weaknesses:

· Models are interpreted – therefore complex models often run slowly

· Relatively expensive

· Saved files of complex models can get large (> 1 Mb)