ASB 591 / CSE 591 / MAT 598: Agent-based modeling

Fall 2007

Professor: Marco Janssen

TTH 1:40 - 2:55

Computing Commons 237

Course content
Agent-based modeling is a method to study the macro-level consequences of micro-level interactions of agents in social phenomena like cooperation, diffusion, foraging and complex societies. In this course students will learn the basics of agent-based modeling and how this method is used to study social systems in ancient and modern times. Further attention is given how to test agent-based models and combine them with other (empirical) methods.

The class reading will review the literature and a significant part of the class will be devoted to get hand-on experience in learning to develop agent-based model in Netlogo. For examples of projects in a similar course see the brief project descriptions of last year.

There is no pre-requisite for this course, although it is helpful if you have some programming experience. This is an interdisciplinary course where you will get exposed to theories and tools from various social and computational sciences. Students who are not willing to learn to work with students from other disciplines should not sign up for this course.
 
Course format
Lectures, discussions, group research project, individual programming assignments

Draft syllabus

Recent article in Science on Research opportunities in Virtual worlds

Recent article in Nature on "social sciences goes virtual"

Readings:

Book: John H. Miller and Scott E. Page (2007) Complex Adaptive Systems: An introduction to Computational Models of Social Life, Princeton University Press

Additional papers provided during semester.