JASSS vol. 1 issue 3 published

[Nigel Gilbert]

Apologies for cross posting; please re-distribute.

The third issue of the Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation
was published today, 30 June 1998 at <http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/JASSS/>.

JASSS is an electronic, inter-disciplinary journal for the exploration and
understanding of social processes by means of computer simulation. 
Access is free.

The third issue includes:

Refereed Articles
-----------------

* Understanding Complex Social Dynamics: A Plea For Cellular Automata Based
Modelling by Rainer Hegselmann and Andreas Flache

The article argues that using cellular automata (CA) is a promising
modelling approach for understanding social dynamics. The first section
introduces and illustrates the concepts of CA.  Section 2 gives a short
history of CA in the social sciences. Section 3 describes and analyses a
more complicated model of evolving support networks. The final section
summarises the advantages of the CA approach.
                  
* Just How (Un)realistic are Evolutionary Algorithms as Representations of
Social Processes? by Edmund Chattoe

This paper illustrates the importance of a coherent behavioural
interpretation in applying evolutionary algorithms like Genetic Algorithms
and Genetic Programming to the modelling of social processes. It summarises
and draws out the implications of the Neo-Darwinian Synthesis for processes
of social evolution and discusses the extent to which evolutionary
algorithms capture the aspects of biological evolution which are relevant
to social processes.
                  
* Normative reputation and the costs of compliance by Cristiano
Castelfranchi, Rosaria Conte and Mario Paolucci

In this paper, the role of normative reputation in reducing the costs of
complying with norms is explored. The effects of the interaction between
populations following different criteria for aggression control are
studied. The relevance of knowledge communication is emphasised. In
particular, the spreading of agents' reputations via communication allows
normative agents to co-operate without deliberation at the expense of
non-normative agents, thereby redistributing the costs of normative
strategies.
                  
* Design Versus Cognition: The interaction of agent cognition and
organizational
design on organizational performance by Kathleen M. Carley, Michael J.
Prietula and Zhiang Lin

The performance of organizations with different structures are examined
using multiple computer simulation models, experimental data, and archival
data focused on the relation between the way in which the organization is
coordinated and its performance. These variations enable the exploration of
the role of agent capabilities, and the way in which agent capability and
coordination interact to affect performance.  Both micro and macro
organizational behavior are examined. Results suggest that simpler models
of agents are needed at macro levels and more detailed, more cognitively
accurate models are needed at micro or small group levels, to generate the
same predictive accuracy.

In the Forum section
--------------------
H. J. Mueller, Th. Malsch, and I. Schulz-Schaeffer introduce a new 100
person-year research programme which is about to start in Germany called
SOCIONICS.

Reviews of books:
-----------------
* Microsimulation and Public Policy edited by Ann Harding, reviewed by
Cathal O'Donoghue

* Simulating Society - A   Mathematica Toolkit for Modeling Socioeconomic
Behavior by Richard J. Gaylord and Lou D'Andria, reviewed by Rainer
Hegselmann

* Chaos and Intoxication: Complexity and Adaptation in the Structure of
Human Nature by Alan Dean, reviewed by Neil Hunt

Submissions of articles, proposals for book reviews and contributions to
the Forum section are welcome.  Accepted submissions will be published in
the next issue (September 1998).

_______________________________________________________________________
Nigel Gilbert, Editor,  Journal of Artificial Societies and
   Social Simulation, <http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/JASSS/>.
Centre for Research on Simulation in the Social Sciences (CRESS),
   Department of Sociology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
   Tel:+44 1483 259173  Fax:+44 1483 259551


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