I have argued that the next step in understanding violin acoustics lies in Artificial Intelligence (AI) which uses neural networks to make predictions. A few months ago on a trip to California I discussed this idea with a Silicon Valley computer expert, Luis Trabb Pardo. He opined that the issue was not just simulating the violin but more so the listener.
Well, as it happens, the September issue of The Strad has a timely article, Intelligent Design by Sebastian Gonzalez. The last paragraph rings loud and clear with this sentence, "So understanding what’s so special about Stradivari’s violins is not something that can be accomplished without studying the biological response music produces in human bodies."
The article explains a first step in simulating violins using neural networks. I think we can agree that simulating the entire violin, not just components such as the free plates, must be the objective.