[FRIAM] Agent Based Modeling's Role in Understanding Complexity

[Ken Lloyd]

To add to Phil remarks, there seems to be different views on what is an
'agent' in ABM (let's forget the 'what is a model stuff' for now).  I
distinguish between agents that are intrinsically part of a system, and that
exhibit intelligence - either natural human intelligence or weak artificial
intelligence.  They can evaluate knowledge sufficiency in contexts and can
probabilistically anticipate and adapt to perturbations. Compare this to how
others refer to agents - or what I call automata - as deterministic or
probabilistic, rules based entities that act within a system.  If these
agents or automata exist outside the system, providing data or modulation of
the system, these elements are referred to as actors.
 
Of course, I am one of 'those' model creating and simulating folks - so be
forewarned.
 
Ken


  _____  

From: friam-bounces at redfish.com [mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com] On Behalf
Of Phil Henshaw
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 4:09 PM
To: 'The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group'
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Agent Based Modeling's Role in Understanding Complexity


Well, there's a sort of a minority 'out crowd' kind of view, that what ABM's
let you see you wouldn't otherwise is how nature is behaving that ABM's
aught to emulate but can't for various general and specific reasons.   The
idea that playing with models suggests new ways to play with models is still
there in this minority view, it's just that the purpose of that is quite
different. 
 
 


Phil Henshaw                       ¸¸¸¸.·´ ¯ `·.¸¸¸¸
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-- "it's not finding what people say interesting, but finding what's
interesting in what they say" --

-----Original Message-----
From: friam-bounces at redfish.com [mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com] On Behalf
Of admin at wkbank.com
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 4:44 PM
To: friam at redfish.com
Subject: [FRIAM] Agent Based Modeling's Role in Understanding Complexity



I have just started reading Friam email and hope to participate in an
upcoming Barcamp. I want to understand better the promise of using ABM in
understanding complexity. I heard, I think it was Nicholas Thompson, say
that what he likes about ABM is that it allows him to see things he wouldn’t
be able to see otherwise. (Forgive me Nick, if I got that wrong) This
potential is what interests me
but what “things” does it allow to be
seen
that is what I want to know—that is the conversation I would like to
engage. 

Almost everything allows something else to be seen in a new light. I want to
know if ABM allows

—new understanding in the way say dreams and dreaming allows us to explore
and understand ourselves and each other in a way we wouldn’t be able to do
otherwise

or

—does ABM allow us to see something more like the numerical result of p
divided out for 10 years. That is does ABM allow us to do things we don’t
have the interest or patience to spend our time doing. 

 

Both can be useful but what is it we are looking for? Can ABM bring us
closer together in understanding each other? How? In what way?

 

 

Best wishes,

Ann Racuya-Robbins

Founder and CEO

World Knowledge Bank®

www.wkbank.com

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