Re: Combining antropology & complexity science, anyone?

[M Lang / S Railsback]

Norberto Eiji Nawa wrote:
> 
> Jurgen,
> 
First, let me applaud Jurgen for at least thinking about modeling a
system as it really is instead of how it is usually modeled (for
mathematical convenience, most likely). If people are at all like the
fish I model, you may find that human factors (like getting nervous when
the warehouse is empty, remembering what happened last time you had too
much stock...) might damp the bullwhipping instead of/ in addition to
causing it.

Of course I also agree with Eiji that you can get into a model that is
too complex to understand much from. If you haven't already, I would
digest Robert Axelrod's work, especially his book "The Complexity of
Cooperation" for ideas on simple models of human interactions.

The traffic models are one kind of agent-based simulation where human
behavioral traits are simulated. You can model how car & truck traffic
(and probably bicycles where you live) flows through some street network
and vary the fraction of drivers that have different driving habits. I
know there are several different such models out there, some of which
may be public domain. Contact your friendly local traffic engineer and
ask; maybe she will let you play with a model for a while. (Or if you
don't succeed, contact me- I actually happen to know my local traffic
engineer.)

Steve R.
-- 
address@hidden
Lang, Railsback & Assoc.
250 California Ave., Arcata CA 95521
707-822-0453; Fax 822-1868


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