Could you give some examples of the computer tools/software that are commonly used? Could you provide or maybe point me somewhere where I could get an expansio

Could you give some examples of the computer tools/software that are commonly used? Could you provide or maybe point me somewhere where I could get an expansion of the ideas in your last sentence? Is it basically creating a simulation along certain non-linear parameters then running the simulation and watching what results? Like, "hmm... that looks like a phase transition, let me see if I can workout what is going on"?