Schedule

19.10.2004: Introduction

Course logistics including tools and readings. Overview of contents.

26.10.2004: Examples of agent-based models in the social sciences

A survey of agent-based modeling in political science, economics, and sociology.

• Schelling, Thomas C. 1978. Micromotives and Macrobehavior. New York: W. W. Norton. Chaps. 1, 5.

02.11.2004: Principles of agent-based modeling

Conceptual introduction to agent-based modeling. Installation of Java, RePast, and development environment.

• Axelrod, Robert. 1997. Advancing the Art of Simulation in the Social Sciences. In Simulating Social Phenomena, ed. Rosaria Conte, Rainer Hegselmann, and Pietro Terna. Berlin: Springer Verlag.

• The Political Methodologist. 2001. Special issue on computational modeling (Number 1, Fall), pp. 12-27.

Also recommended:

• Cederman, Lars-Erik. Computational Models of Social Forms: Advancing Generative Macro Theory. Ms. Harvard University.

• Rosser, J. Barkley Jr. 1999. On the Complexities of Complex Economic Dynamics. Journal of Economic Perspectives 13: 169-192.

09.11.2004: Java Primer I

Homework A handed out

Overview of the language. Primitive data types. Control structures.

• Eckel Chaps. 1-3; or Schildt Modules 1-3

16.11.2004: Java Primer II

Object-orientation. Inheritance.

• Eckel Chaps. 1-2; or Schildt Modules 4-7

23.11.2004: Java Primer III

Interfaces. Packages. Collections and arrays.

• Eckel Chaps. 5,8,11; or Schildt Module 8.

• See also Sun's Tutorial on collections

30.11.2004: A hand-crafted agent-based model

Homework A due
Homework B handed out

Comprehensive project incorporating all Java topics covered so far.

• Schelling, Thomas C. 1978. Micromotives and Macrobehavior. New York: W. W. Norton. Chap. 5.

07.12.2004: RePast Tutorial I

History of RePast. How to create and run a simple RePast model. The control panel.

• Cohen, Riolo, and Axelrod. 1999. The Emergence of Social Organization in the Prisoner's Dilemma: How Context-Preservation and other Factors Promote Cooperation (SFI Working Paper).

• Nick Collier. 2002. RePast: An Extensible Framework for Agent Simulation.

14.12.2004 RePast Tutorial II

Homework B due
Homework C handed out

IPD interaction topologies. How to build a model (2). Random numbers. Scheduling.

• Collier, Nicholson, and Howe, Thomas R. 2003. "RePast 2.0: Major Changes and New Features".

• RePast web page: "How to build a model", "How to use the GUI", "How to work with random numbers"

21.12.2004: RePast Tutorial III

Graphical displays. Charts. Grids. Probes.

• RePast web page: "How to create charts", "How to create displays", "Spaces overview"

11.01.2005: RePast Tutorial IV

Homework C due
Project memo due

Batch runs. Parameter files. Output files. Advanced topics: schedules; customization.

• RePast web page: "How to use parameters and parameter files", "How to collect data", "How to use a schedule", "How to create custom actions", "How to create property descriptors"

18.01.2005: Emergent Network Models

Homework D handed out

• Albert, Réka and Albert-László Barabási. 2001. Statistical Mechanics of Complex Networks.

• Strogatz, S.H. 2001. Exploring complex networks. Nature 410: 268-276.

25.01.2005: Emergent Actor Models

• Cederman, Lars-Erik. 2002. Endogenizing Geopolitical Boundaries with Agent-Based Modeling. Proceedings of the National Academy 99: 7796-7303. PDF Hollis e-resources.

• Cederman, Lars-Erik. 2003. Modeling the Size of Wars: From Billiard Balls to Sandpiles. American Political Science Review.

• The GeoContest homepage

01.02.2005: Emergent Structure Models

Homework D due

• Axelrod, Robert. 1997. The Complexity of Cooperation, Chap. 7. First published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution 41 (1997): 203-226.

07.03.2005: Final project report due