The 1981 Thesis That Launched Switch-Level Simulation
A Switch-Level Simulation Model for Integrated Logic Circuits (1981) [pdf]
Randal Bryant's 1981 MIT thesis introduced a new model for simulating integrated circuits at the switch level, bridging the gap between logic and circuit simulation. It formalized the behavior of MOS transistors as switches, enabling efficient and accurate simulation of VLSI designs. This work laid the foundation for the widely used simulator COSMOS and influenced generations of CAD tools.
The switch-level model provides a means of accurately simulating the logical behavior of a circuit without having to perform a detailed circuit simulation.