Re: [Swarm-Modelling] foundation of ABMs

[Gulyas Laszlo]

Dear Pablo,

I muse about the motivations and foundations of ABM in the introduction of
my PhD thesis. It's not formal at all and it's certainly not as elaborate
as Darren's work. Still, but it might shed some light at the issues you
raised. It is available at http://user.aitia.ai/~gulya/Research/Thesis/

Best,

Gulya

 On Tue, 5 Apr 2005, Pablo Gomez Mourelo wrote:

>
> Dear all:
>
> I am an engineer very  interested in agent-based modelling. I have a
> question for you all, related to justification/foundation of ABMs.
> I have already read some literature and it seems to me that a
> justification of agent-based modelling has not been achieved (Volker
> Grimm).
> One of the problems of AB-modelling is that randomness is nearly always
> included in our simulations, so different executions turn into different
> outcomes.
>  In comparison to mathematical models , it seems to me very difficult to
> develop a general theory (foundation) of agent based modelling. HOw do
> we know an ABM converges to some solution? How can we describe stability
> of an ABM?  Many modellers feel satisfied with the graphical output, but
> mathematicians always complain about the lack or rigour beneath the
> simulation.
>
>
>  My main question is: does anyone know of any paper/book giving a
> mathematical foundation of ABMs?
>
> All the best,
>
>

-- 
--
Laszlo Gulyas                           address@hidden
AI Laboratory                           http://www.sztaki.hu/~gulyas/
Computer and Automation Research Inst.  H-1111, Budapest, Kende u. 13-17.
Hungarian Academy of Sciences           * 36 30 638 3218