ASB 591 (81427)/ MAT 598 (86216): Agent-based modeling

Fall 2008

Professor: Marco Janssen

TTH 12:00 - 1:15

Physical Sciences H230

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.

Topics that will be discussed are: methodology of modeling, complex adaptive systems, cellular automata, agent-based modeling, model analysis, pattern oriented modeling, model documentation, and applications like foraging behavior, diffusion processes, evolution of cooperation, etc.

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. Each student has a project on an application of their own interest and work on this during the semester.

There is no pre-requisite for this course, although it is helpful if you have some programming experience. This is an interdisciplinary course for students in the social and life sciences.
 
Course format
Lectures, discussions, individual research project,  programming assignments

Required book

John H. Miller and Scott E. Page (2005) Complex adaptive systems: An introduction to computational models of social life, Princeton University Press.