The use of mathematical and/or numerical techniques to solve the equations describing the generation, interaction, propagation, and dissipation of waves on the ocean surface. The main types of wave modeling include 1) hydrodynamic modeling of fluid motions, to compute the evolution of the water surface and fluid velocities, and to compute forces on structures; 2) modeling of the propagation of waves as they approach the shore, taking account of refraction by varying depth; and 3) modeling of the evolution of the spectrum of the wave energy divided into components of different frequency and direction, in order to forecast the waves over an ocean region. Operationally, such models are used to produce wave forecasts (in much the same way as weather forecasts are produced) using wind information from meteorological forecast models.