Simulate / Steady State

What does the term of „mathematical model“ represent in chemical engineering and engineering in general? A broad definition of a model is - „a virtual version of reality“, which means that any of us can observe it differently. For this reason, every model must be accompanied with clearly defined assumptions and goals.
A good model should reflect the important factors affecting a process and must not be crowded with minor, secondary factors that will complicate the mathematical analysis and might render the investigation.