Because GoldSim is very powerful and flexible, it is relatively complex. Nevertheless, the software can be readily mastered by anyone familiar with the basic functions of a personal computer and the Windows operating system.
Since a GoldSim model is built by describing functional relationships (equations) between the components of your system, however, you must be comfortable with the basics of quantitative analysis. This does not mean you must be a mathematician or a numerical modeler. As a rule of thumb, if you are comfortable using a spreadsheet you can learn to build a model in GoldSim.
Although GoldSim can be run in a deterministic manner (i.e., with no uncertainty specified in the input parameters), one of the key features of the program is its ability to explicitly represent such uncertainty through the use of probability distributions. In order to do so, you must have at least a basic understanding of the representation and propagation of uncertainty. Appendix A of the GoldSim User’s Guide provides a brief primer on this topic, along with suggestions for further reading.