Simulation For The Social Scientist

by Gilbert, Nigel; Troitzsch, Klaus

• ISBN13: 9780335216000
• ISBN10: 0335216005
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-02-01
• Publisher: Open University Press

Summary

What can computer simulation contribute to the social sciences? Which of the many approaches to simulation would be best for my social science project? How do I design, carry out and analyse the results from a computer simulation? Interest in social simulation has been growing rapidly worldwide as a result of increasingly powerful hardware and software and also a rising interest in the application of ideas of complexity, evolution, adaptation and chaos in the social sciences.Simulation for the Social Scientistis a practical textbook on the techniques of building computer simulations to assist understanding of social and economic issues and problems.This authoritative book details all the common approaches to social simulation, to provide social scientists with an appreciation of the literature and allow those with some programming skills to create their own simulations.New for this edition: A new chapter on designing multi-agent systems, to support the fact that multi-agent modelling has become the most common approach to simulation New examples and guides to current software Updated throughout to take new approaches into account The book is an essential tool for social scientists in a wide range of fields, particularly sociology, economics, anthropology, geography, organizational theory, political science, social policy, cognitive psychology and cognitive science. It will also appeal to computer scientists interested in distributed artificial intelligence, multi-agent systems and agent technologies.

Author Biography

Nigel Gilbert (United Kingdom) is a member of the Sociology Department at the University of Surrey.

Dr. Klaus G. Troitzsch (Germany) is based at the Universitat Koblenz-Landau.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Simulation and social science	1	(14)
What is simulation?	2	(4)
The history of social science simulation	6	(4)
Simulating human societies	10	(3)
Conclusion	13	(2)
Simulation as a method	15	(13)
The logic of simulation	16	(2)
The stages of simulation-based research	18	(8)
Conclusion	26	(2)
System dynamics and world models	28	(29)
Software	31	(1)
An example: doves, hawks and law-abiders	32	(12)
Commentary	44	(1)
World models	45	(5)
Problems and an outlook	50	(4)
Further reading	54	(3)
Microanalytical simulation models	57	(22)
Methodologies	60	(5)
Software	65	(1)
Examples	66	(9)
Commentary	75	(1)
Further reading	76	(3)
Queuing models	79	(21)
Characteristics of queuing models	80	(6)
Software	86	(1)
Examples	87	(10)
Commentary	97	(1)
Further reading	98	(2)
Multilevel simulation models	100	(30)
Some synergetics	102	(5)
Software: MIMOSE	107	(6)
Examples	113	(14)
Commentary	127	(1)
Further reading	128	(2)
Cellular automata	130	(42)
The Game of Life	131	(3)
Other cellular automata models	134	(11)
Extensions to the basic model	145	(6)
Software	151	(18)
Further reading	169	(3)
Multi-agent models	172	(27)
Agents and agency	173	(5)
Agent architecture	178	(4)
Building multi-agent simulations	182	(8)
Examples of multi-agent modelling	190	(7)
Further reading	197	(2)
Developing multi-agent systems	199	(18)
Making a start	200	(2)
From theory to model	202	(5)
Adding dynamics	207	(2)
Cognitive models	209	(1)
The user interface	210	(1)
Unit tests	211	(1)
Debugging	212	(2)
Using multi-agent simulations	214	(1)
Conclusion	215	(1)
Further reading	215	(2)
Learning and evolutionary models	217	(39)
Artificial neural networks	219	(3)
Using artificial neural networks for social simulation	222	(5)
Designing neural networks	227	(3)
Evolutionary computation	230	(23)
Further reading	253	(3)
Appendix A Web sites	256	(11)
General	256	(1)
Programs, packages and languages	256	(4)
Electronic journals	260	(1)
System dynamics	260	(1)
Microsimulation	261	(2)
Queuing models	263	(1)
Cellular automata	264	(1)
Multi-agent systems	265	(1)
Neural networks	265	(1)
Evolutionary computation	266	(1)
Appendix B Linear stability analysis of the dove--hawk--law-abider model	267	(5)
Appendix C Random number generators	272	(3)
References	275	(12)
Author index	287	(4)
Subject index	291