Molecular ynamics (MD) is a form of computer simulation in which atoms and molecules are allowed to interact for a period of time under known laws of physics, giving a view of the motion of the atoms. Because molecular systems generally consist of a vast number of particles, it is impossible to find the properties of such complex systems analytically; MD simulation circumvents this problem by using numerical methods. It represents an interface between laboratory experiments and theory, and can be understood as a "virtual experiment". MD probes the relationship between molecular structure, movement and function. Molecular dynamics is a multidisciplinary method. Its laws and theories stem from mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and it employs algorithms from computer science and information theory. It was originally conceived within theoretical physics in the late 1950's, but is applied today mostly in materials science and biomolecules.