Idealization

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Idealization is the process by which scientific models assume facts about the phenomenon being modeled that are certainly false. Often these assumptions are used to make models easier to understand or solve. Many times idealizations do not harm the predictive accuracy of the model for one reason or another. Most debates surrounding the usefulness of a particular model often are about the appropriateness of different idealizations.

[edit] Examples of idealization

In physics, people will often solve for Newtonian systems without friction. While, we know that friction is present in actual systems, solving the model without friction can provide insights to the behavior of actual systems where the force of friction is negligible.

Also, in economic models individuals are assumed to be maximally rational choice rational. This assumption, although known to be violated by actual humans, can often lead to insights about the behavior of human populations.