Epidemiologists have a growing interest in employing computational approaches to solve analytic problems, with simulation being arguably the most accessible among all approaches. While previous literature discussed the utility of simulation and demonstrated how to carry out them, few have focused on connecting underlying statistical concepts to these simulation approaches, creating gaps between theory and application. Based on the recent series of discussions on the balancing intercept, we explain the growing complexity when generalizing the balancing intercept to a wider class of simulations and revise the closed-form equation for the balancing intercept under assumptions. The discussion can broadly inform the future design of more complex simulations and emphasize the importance of applying statistical thinking in the new era of computational science.

翻译：流行病学家越来越倾向于采用计算方法来解决分析问题，其中模拟可能是所有方法中最易获取的一种。尽管已有文献讨论了模拟的实用性并展示了如何实施模拟，但鲜有研究关注将基础统计概念与这些模拟方法相结合，从而造成了理论与应用之间的脱节。基于近期关于平衡截距的一系列讨论，我们解释了当将平衡截距推广到更广泛的模拟类别时日益增长的复杂性，并修正了在假设条件下平衡截距的闭式方程。这一讨论可广泛指导未来更复杂模拟的设计，并强调了在计算科学新时代运用统计思维的重要性。