JASSS: Vol. 5(3) published

[Nigel Gilbert]

The Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation 
(http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/) published the third issue of Volume 5 
on June 30th.

JASSS is an electronic, refereed journal devoted to the exploration and 
understanding of social processes by means of computer simulation.  It 
is located at <http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/JASSS/>. It is freely 
available, with no subscription.

=================

In this issue, Brichoux and Johnson present an agent-based simulation 
model of protest activity.  They find that the addition of a 
surprisingly small group of activists radically changes the aggregate 
behavior of the model under some conditions, making high and sustained 
protest possible when it otherwise would not have been.  Hegselmann and 
Krause ask when opinion formation within an interacting group leads to 
consensus, polarization or fragmentation and investigate various models 
for the dynamics of continuous opinions using analytical methods and 
computer simulations. Klaus Jaffe explores whether society would be 
better off, in aggregate economic terms, if altruism was more widely 
practiced among its members.  He answers this question using an agent 
based computer simulation model of a simple agricultural society. Rémy 
Courdier et al describe the application of an agent-based simulation to 
the agricultural management of animal wastes.  Cor van Dijkum, Janneke 
van Mens-Verhulst and colleagues present a system dynamics model that 
explores the dynamics of health-related actions to cope with fatigue. 
The process of self-regulation is simulated, particularly with respect 
to the consequences of non-linear feedback cycles.

The issue also includes Ian Lustick's account of PS-I, a new modeling 
platform for testing theories of political identity and political 
stability, Carlos Gershenson's consideration of the philosophical issues 
that should be taken into account when simulating social behaviour, and 
a proposal to form a European Social Simulation Association.

JASSS also announces a new feature:  a calendar of events (click on the 
Calendar item on the left of the front page).  If you are arranging a 
meeting, conference or workshop relevant to readers of JASSS, you can 
add entries to the calendar yourself, and that way bring it to the 
attention of other readers.

=================
Refereed articles
=================
David Brichoux and Paul E. Johnson
The power of commitment in cooperative social action

Rainer Hegselmann and Ulrich Krause
Opinion dynamics and bounded confidence: models, analysis and simulation

Klaus Jaffe
An economic analysis of altruism: who benefits from altruistic acts?

Rémy Courdier, François Guerrin, Fenintsoa Hary Andriamasinoro and 
Jean-Marie Paillat
Agent-based simulation of complex systems: application to collective 
management of animal wastes

R. Bagni, R. Berchi and P. Cariello
A comparison of simulation models applied to epidemics

C. van Dijkum, J. van Mens-Verhulst, E. van Kuijk and N. Lam
System dynamic experiments with non-linearity and a rate of learning: 
the development of chronic fatigue complaints

=================
Forum: Discussion papers and work in progress
=================

Ian Lustick
PS-I: A User-Friendly Agent-Based Modeling Platform for Testing Theories 
of Political Identity and Political Stability

Carlos Gershenson
Philosophical Ideas on the Simulation of Social Behaviour

Scott Moss and others
A European Social Simulation Association

=================
Book Reviews
=================

Complex Life: Non Modernity and the Emergence of Cognition and Culture
Alan Dean
Reviewed by Frédéric Amblard

IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Part A: Systems and 
Humans, 31(5), September, Special Issue on Socially Intelligent Agents
Edited by Kerstin Dautenhahn
Reviewed by  Bruce Edmonds

Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, 5(3), October, 
Special Issue on Social Intelligence
Edited by Bruce Edmonds and Kerstin Dautenhahn
Reviewed by  Nick Gotts

Simulating Ecological and Evolutionary Systems in C
Will Wilson
Reviewed by  Richard Holden

Discrete-Event Simulation: Modeling, Programming, and Analysis
George S. Fishman
Reviewed by  Juan de Lara Jaramillo

Applications of Simulation to Social Sciences
Edited by Gérard Ballot and Gérard Weisbuch
Reviewed by  Paul Williamson
=================

The new issue can be accessed through the JASSS home page: 
<http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/JASSS.html>

The next issue wil be published at the end of October 2002.  Submissions 
are welcome: see <http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/admin/submit.html>

_______________________________________________________________________
Professor 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 689173  Fax:+44 1483 689551  address@hidden
Simulation resources at <http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/research/simsoc/>



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