Instructor: Kristinn R. Thórisson
Teaching Assistant: Guðný R. Jónsdóttir
Technology: Guðný R. Jónsdóttir, Eric Nivel
12 Units, full Master's-level course
Classroom: K4

LINKS: Readings | Prior Student Reports | Assignments

This course provides students with theoretical and hands-on training in concepts of emergence and agent-based modeling techniques. Such techniques are increasingly being used to understand activities and information flow in systems where goal-driven elements are mixed with other types of causal relationships – systems such as social organizations, economies and the animal and human mind. Students will learn the basics of this advanced modeling approach and will gain experience in applying it in prototype systems.

Being a methodology course, the material covered includes numerous useful concepts and techniques from artificial intelligence and engineering that are generally applicable to modeling multi-layered, real-world systems; students interested in acquiring general-purpose skills for studying and simulating complex phenomena should find this an extremely valuable course, as should those interested in learning new approaches to understanding human thought and knowledge representation.

1. Programming experience necessary, proficiency in Java and/or C++
2. A prior introductory class in one or more of the following is recommended: Artificial intelligence, Economic organization and business models, Simulation techniques, Complexity

• Final Project (50%); Mini-Projects (20%); Written Exam (20%); Class Participation (10%) = 100%

Tue Jan 08: Introduction to course | KRTh

• READINGS:
  • Introduction to ABMS

Thu Jan 10: No Class

W2

Tue Jan 15: Introduction to CDM & Psyclone | KRTh

• Assignment:Psyclone mini-project
• READINGS:
  • Lecture Notes: Introduction to CDM & Psyclone
  • CDM-S (CDM for Simulation) RUTR-CS Technical Report
  • Psyclone Manual (see email on intranet about Psyclone download)

Thu Jan 14: Software Architecture | KRTh

• READINGS:
  • Lecture notes: Software Architecture Overview
  • Introduction to Software Architecture, Garlan & Shaw
  • Agent-Based Modeling software platforms overview, Railsback et al., Simulation

W3

Tue Jan 22: Overivew of CDM | KRTh

• Psyclone Mini-Project hand-in
• READINGS:
  • Agent-Based Methods Review
  • CDM-S (CDM for Simulation) RUTR-CS Technical Report

Thu Jan 24: Introduction to Emergence | KRTh

• Assignment:Emergence mini-project
• READINGS:
  • Lecture Notes: Emergence
  • Lecture Notes ('07 RJS): Slides by Rögnvaldur J. Sæmundsson
  • Science of Self-Organization, Heylighen
  • Emergent Phenomena & Complexity, Vince Darley
  • Self-Assembling Networks, Scweitzer & Tilch
  • Videos

W4

Tue Jan 29: Knowledge and Learning | KRTh

• Assignment:Scaling Mini-Project
• READINGS:
  • Learning
  • Knowledge

Thu Jan 31: Basic Principles of Economics | RJS

• Emergence Mini-Project DUE
• READINGS:
  • Course Notes: Basic Economics - course slides
  • www.basiceconomics.info - All sections under “Basic Principles”: Efficiency of Markets, Market Failures and Externalities, Costs and Production, Perfect Competition.
  • The Economic Way of Thinking, P. Hayne 1991
  • Allocative efficiency by Gode and Sunder 1993

Tue Feb 05: Introduction to the RJS-KRTh innovation simulation model | KRTh, GRJ

• Emergence Mini-Project presentation
  • ABMS exploration: Modules, monitoring, distributed setup
• READINGS:
  • Modular Simulation paper

Thu Feb 07: Current ABMS model - overview | KRTh, GRJ

• Emergence Mini-Project presentation
• Scaling Mini-Project DUE
• ABMS exploration: Modules, monitoring, distributed setup
• READINGS:
  • CDM-S (CDM for Simulation) RUTR-CS Technical Report

W6

Tue Feb 12: LAB | KRTh,GRJ

• Scaling Mini-Project presentation
• ABMS exploration: Modules, monitoring, distributed setup

Thu Feb 14: Final Project overview / Creation of tasks / Experiment w/current model | KRTh, GRJ

W7

Tue Feb 19: LAB: Design Session - Following CDM-S | KRTh, GRJ

• Course Notes: Agent-Based Modeling Techniques
• Agent-Based Methods Review
• CDM-S (CDM for Simulation) RUTR-CS Technical Report

Thu Feb 21: LAB: Design Session - Following CDM-S | KRTh, GRJ

• Definition of version 1.0
• Task assignments: Division of labor for model implementation and evaluation of version 1.0

W8

Tue Feb 26: LAB - Version 1.0 implementation | GRJ

Thu Feb 28: LAB - Version 1.0 implementation | GRJ

Tue Mar 04: LAB - Version 1.0 implementation | KRTh, GRJ

Thu Mar 06: Integration Session 1 | KRTh, GRJ

W10

Tue Mar 11: LAB - Version 2.0 design | GRJ, KRTh

Thu Mar 13: LAB - Version 2.0 implementation | KRTh, GRJ

W11

Tue Mar 18: Integration Session 2 | KRTh

Thu Mar 20: Easter holiday

W12

Tue Mar 25: Easter holiday

Thu Mar 27: LAB - Version 2.0 implementation cleanup / prep for writeup | KRTh, GRJ

W13

Tue Apr 1: LAB - Version 2.0 implementation cleanup / prep for writeup | KRTh, GRJ

Thu Apr 3: Final integration session / Discussion and reflection on course | KRTh, GRJ