Introduction to Agent-Based Modeling

by

I’m doing this course: Introduction to Agent-Based Modeling, and I would like to keep some notes and screenshots.

  • An agent is an autonomous individual element with properties and actions in a computer simulation.
  • Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) is the idea that the world can be modeled using agents, an environment, and a description of agent-agent and agent-environment interactions.
  • Phase transition: a small change in an input parameter dramatically affects the outcome of a model.

Models

Introductory Models

The fire model:

  • Variable: density of the forest (by default: 57%),
  • Tipping point: 62% of density of the forest.

The traffic model:

  • Variables: Number of cars, acceleration, deceleration.
  • Free flow state: with low number of cars.
  • Look for the dynamics, not on the static final result.
  • The average speed does not describe any particular car.

The Schelling tipping model:

  • Tom Schelling (1972) related to segregation of people in a neighbourhood.
  • 2 different groups of people, segregation of people.
  • Variables: density (by default 95%) and %-similar wanted (30%).
  • Schelling’s model sometimes called the Tipping model because
  • neighborhoods in the model can be very stable until the arrival or departure of one more agent, and then the neighborhood can change dramatically.

Complex Models

  • Social networks models
  • Spatial models

Leave a Comment