The computational paradigm is a term introduced by Wolfram (2002, 2021) to describe the idea of using simple programs rather than mathematical equations (the latter of which may be termed the "mathematical paradigm"), as the basis for modeling systems in nature and elsewhere. The computational paradigm has proven successful in modeling and predicting the behavior of many complex systems such as cellular automata which have allowed only limited analysis using traditional mathematical methods. The computational paradigm forms one of the primary bases for the approach to fundamental problems in science termed a new kind of science by Wolfram (2002).
The idea of the computational paradigm can be generalized and made more abstract via extension to the multicomputational paradigm (Wolfram 2021). In particular, the multicomputational paradigm has provided a fundamental framework for encapsulating and understanding the results of the Wolfram Physics Project.
