algorithm algorithm Monte Carlo Allyson Lister Monte Carlo is a discrete stochastic simulation algorithm and an estimation procedure algorithm. If it is necessary to know the average value of some random variable and its distribution can not be stated, and if it is possible to take samples from the distribution, we can estimate it by taking the samples, independently, and averaging them. If there are sufficiently enough samples, then the law of large numbers says the average must be close to the true value. The central limit theorem says that the average has a Gaussian distribution around the true value. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stochastic_simulation#Monte_Carlo_simulation, accessed 25 March 2015, and http://www.async.ece.utah.edu/iBioSim/docs/iBioSim.html, accessed 25 March 2015.