Agent-Based and Individual-Based Modeling: A Practical Introduction

by Steven F. Railsback, Volker Grimm

The essential textbook on agent-based modeling―now fully updated and expanded

Agent-Based and Individual-Based Modeling has become the standard textbook on the subject for classroom use and self-instruction. Drawing on the latest version of NetLogo and fully updated with new examples, exercises, and an enhanced text for easier comprehension, this is the essential resource for anyone seeking to understand how the dynamics of biological, social, and other complex systems arise from the characteristics of the agents that make up these systems.

Steven Railsback and Volker Grimm lead students stepwise through the processes of designing, programming, documenting, and doing scientific research with agent-based models, focusing on the adaptive behaviors that make these models necessary. They cover the fundamentals of modeling and model analysis, introduce key modeling concepts, and demonstrate how to implement them using NetLogo. They also address pattern-oriented modeling, an invaluable strategy for modeling real-world problems and developing theory.

This accessible and authoritative book focuses on modeling as a tool for understanding real complex systems. It explains how to pose a specific question, use observations from actual systems to design models, write and test software, and more.

Genres: Science

360 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2011

Reviews

[Franck Chauvel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I am not an expert in agent-based models (ABM), I would recommend to those—like me—who need examples to understand. I liked the mix between conceptual descriptions and the concrete examples (to be implemented on the NetLogo platform). The first and the last parts contains general guidance (what to model, how to proceed, etc.), as opposed to Part II (and also Part III to a lesser extent), which are more about modelling specific types of agent-based model.

[szymborskalyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. An exceedingly accessible introduction to a method that seems otherwise intimidating to pickup. Primers like this are an enormous service to the academic community. Kudos and thanks for the authors.