Showing papers by "Michael North published in 2011"

Introductory tutorial: agent-based modeling and simulation

Abstract: Agent-based simulation (ABS) is an approach to modeling systems comprised of individual, autonomous, interacting “agents.” Agent-based modeling offers ways to more easily model individual behaviors and how behaviors affect others in ways that have not been available before. There is much interest in developing agent-based models for many application problem domains. Applications range from modeling agent behavior in supply chains and the stock market, to predicting the success of marketing campaigns and the spread of epidemics, to projecting the future needs of the healthcare system. Progress in the area suggests that ABS promises to have far-reaching effects on the way that businesses use computers to support decision-making and researchers use agent-based models as electronic laboratories to aid in discovery. This brief tutorial introduces agent-based modeling and simulation by describing the basic ideas of ABS, discussing some applications, and addressing methods for developing agent-based models.

Product design patterns for agent-based modeling

Abstract: Since they were first introduced by architect Christopher Alexander in his classic book The Timeless Way of Building, design patterns have offered a powerful yet simple way to conceptualize and communicate designs in many disciplines. Design patterns became widely used for software development by the 1990's. These software design patterns have subsequently been shown to be of great value in improving the reliability and reducing the cost of software. Given that virtually all large-scale agent-based models are ultimately implemented in software, there is great potential for software design patterns to improve the practice of agent-based modeling. Several authors have discussed the use of patterns for agent-based modeling or agent-oriented software. This paper's contribution is that it provides an extensive set of both existing and new agent-based modeling design patterns, each of which is substantiated with at least three successful published example uses in models or modeling platforms.