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[Steve Emsley]

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Subject: UK SWARM users address@hidden: Spatial Workshop (fwd)]
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UK Users, I apologize for the triple post and I apologize to the
'rest of the world' team for the dual post. The main reason for this
post is to flush out as many U.K. swarm users as there are stones to
hide under!

Discussions at the British Ecological Society, NERC Special Topic:
Testable Models Of Aquatic Ecosystems January meeting and with the
head of the Centre of Coastal and Marine Sciences, UK suggest that the
time is ripe for co-ordinating modelling within the UK.

This could include: establishing a repository of library modules and
complete models as a common resource to ecosystem modellers; applying
a formal software specification protocol to the development of
ecosystem models; funding for both archiving and R&D of core library
modules.

I'm forwarding details of a BES meeting in (tentatively) March 1999
that will introduce SWARM to the wider ecological community. Since we,
in the UK, seem to have the high-ground w.r.t biological applications
of SWARM (with the noted exception of Ginger Booth at Yale), I invite
comments regarding where ecologists would like to see SWARM develop
and whether they consider a collective response to the diversity
inherent in modelling (implementation languages etc.) to be acceptable.

Considering the timescale (15 months) I imagine that, by that time, we
will have a platform-independent (JAVA) SWARM with distributed
processing built-in (Hey, 'hive-guys', I'm not trying to push your
buttons). Prior to that date funding bodies may be approached w.r.t
development of SWARM libraries that fulfill the requirements of the
U.K. modelling community. IMHO this will prove beneficial both to the
U.K. community, by focusing on core modules that are required in
biological IBMs, and the Swarm Hive, by providing additional funding to
core library programmer(s).

Further to that end I invite interested parties to contact me with
their suggestions w.r.t whether they would contribute to a software
repository (currently viewed as being held, at least virtually, at
BODC), what are their requirements w.r.t SWARM library routines
(including the flavour of distributed processing that they require),
and their views on formal software specification methodology.

[Swarm Hive] I've been reviewing the mail-list discussion viz. formal
specification of IBMs. The thread concerning Rosen's category theory
seems to address the question of 'What does a conceptual model mean?'
rather than the utilitarian question of 'Is my computational
representation of my conceptual model logically verifiable?" ASAIK YDM
and SSADM (acronym hell!!) are formal systems designed for imperative
languages. What formal system has been used in the development of
SWARM?

I'm including forwarded mail pertaining to the sentiments expressed
above and invite comments. UK Swarmers please forward this mail to
anyone you know who may find this radical concept of cooperation
interesting! Note that the putative Aberdeen meeting is in need of
contributions. Please forward suggestions.

Finally, if you are in the U.K. and use SWARM we should consider
getting more networked.

Regards,
Steve


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Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 11:43:16 +0000 (GMT)
From: David Morse <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden
Subject: Spatial Workshop (fwd)
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Steve,
    It was good to meet you at the BES meeting in Warwick just before
Christmas.  Our discussions have set me thinking in various swarm and
individual-based modelling directions.

I am attaching a message from the person in Aberdeen who was keen on
organizing a workshop on spatial modelling.  I would welcome your comments
on it, how it should be changed, who you think would be worth approaching
to invite them to speak, and so on.  I would also like you to think about
how we can work in a Swarm workshop into the meeting and what form that
should take.  Again, who we should invite to speak at that meeting.

Secondly, I've been thinking about possible swarm-related grant
applications.  I've been wondering if the following areas are worth
exploring:
1) Extensions to support parallel or distributed execution across a
network of workstations/PCs
2) Investigation of individual-based model description languages, using
ODP (Open Distributed Processing) and CORBA.  ODP has an informal
diagrammatic notation and CORBA uses IDLs - Interface Description
Languages.

I'd welcome your comments on these half-baked thoughts of mines as
well!

All the best,
David.


- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 12:26:48 +0000 (GMT)
From: Jonathan Beecham 527 <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden
Subject: Spatial Workshop


Here is the outline for the workshop we discussed.  This was conceived
some time ago and some of the session titles reflect my personal
interests.  Nevertheless I think that there is a progression from sub-
population, through population to metapopulation, so most contributed
papers could be fitted into this scheme.  For the L-slots I have in mind
one of my two individual based models (either genetics or foraging
behaviour) and a talk on SWARM from the researcher at Warwick whose name
escapes me.  The rest could be contributed.  I think I can locate an
interesting landscape ecology plenary speaker, the other three will need
to be found - perhaps someone from the ecological genetics group may
have some ideas for the third session.  The most important thing is to
find a speaker for the overview: any ideas?

The timings of the meeting are probably wrong: I originally envisaged a
midday start because people would travel up in the morning, if we hold
it in Aberdeen most people would probably come down the day before, and
anyone flying in would arrive around 9.00am so a 9.30 - 10.00am start
might be better.  If there is a little more time would could increase
the number of contributed papers to three per session.  On this subject
my head of division, whilst keen on the workshop does not like the idea
of September because we have a visiting group in November, so the
workshop might interfere with rehearsals.  This is not an absolute
prohibition.  If the BES council are against a winter date then I could
go back to him and say that this is the only date possible.  On the
other hand a March - April date is also possible.  This would be
convenient for me as it would give me plenty of time to get things
organised and it could be publicised at the next winter meeting.  Let me
know what you feel. 

The costs of the meeting are likely to be low, because we do not charge
for accommodation, only the cost of snacks, publications etc.  My best
guess is about thirty pounds per head (less for students) for conference
and a buffet lunch.  Our public relations officer (golden rule: don't
give away information unless you have to) doesn't want to commit herself
until she has some idea of numbers and a program.  We can probably get
together a few computers for doing demos. 

I am still a little worried about Aberdeen being a long way away.  This
is less of a problem for a two-day workshop and there are good air
services to Aberdeen.  If we go for Thursday - Friday then I can arrange
an optional social program on Saturday.  Accommodation will be at the
University of Aberdeen. 

Let me know what you think of my ideas - I am open to suggestion.       


Jonathan Beecham

Modelling Spatial Processes in Ecology : A Workshop

Rationale

A number of ecological systems are characterized by systems in which
living organisms diffuse across a landscape (diffusion) which they
interact with in some way (e.g.  feeding, infection, breeding)
(reaction).  These processes can be modelled at the population level as
reaction-diffusion equations or as random-walk models of individual
organism behaviour. 

The purpose of the workshop is to review the different kinds of spatial
models used by ecologists in a variety of fields.  Ecologists can be
aware of the different kinds of spatial models available, which is the
most suitable for the tasks needed and where modelling effort can be
reduced by using existing models and simulation environments.  At the
end of the workshop it is hoped to produce a review paper sumarising the
workshop and to promote collaboration between modellers and people with
ecological problems

Workshop Sessions

There will be 4 ecological themes:

1. Theoretical basis: Diffusion theory, C.A.s, C.M.L.s I.B.M.s 
2. Behavioural ecology (including foraging theory)
3. Ecological genetics and disease modelling
4. Landscape ecology metapopulation and biodiversity modelling

Papers will be of 3 kinds - Plenary papers (22+8 minutes) - 1 per session
                        Long papers (22+8 minutes) - 1 per session used to 
describe a
major system
                        Short papers (15 + 5 minutes) - 2 per session  
         
In addition there will be a demonstration evening for computer
simulations and a workshop session with 2 parallel workshops and a
summing up. 

Timetable

Day 1

12.30 PM  Optional buffet lunch

1.20 PM Introduction

Session 1 Theoretical Basis: Diffusion theory, C.A.s, C.M.Ls , I.B.M.s

1.30 PM  P1 - Overview paper

2.00 PM  L1  
2.30 PM  S1
2.50 PM  S2

3.10 PM  Tea

Session 2 Behavioural ecology (including foraging theory)

3.40 PM P2 - Applications of spatial modelling in behavioural ecology
4.10 PM L2 - Foraging theory modelling (Matt or me)
4.40 PM S3
5.00 PM S4

5.20 PM Session close - set up demos

6.30 PM Supper

7.30 PM Demos and drink

9.00 PM Official close - retire to the bar!

DAY 2

Session 3 Ecological Genetics and Disease spread

9.00 AM  P3 - Plant disease modelling?
9.30 AM  L3 - An ecological genetics simulation system?
10.00 AM S5 
10.20 AM S6

10.40 AM Coffee

Session 4  Landscape Ecology and Biodiversity

11.10 AM P4 - Landscape ecology application
11.40 AM L4 
12.10 AM S7  
12.30 AM S8

12.50 Buffet Lunch

13.50 Workshop sessions intro
14.00 Workshop 1 Modelling methods
14.00 Workshop 2 Applications, opportunities and threats
15.30 Workshops converge - summary

16.00 Close

 

- --
Dr David R. Morse,           |Visiting during the academic year 1997/8:
Computing Laboratory,        |- The Natural History Museum, London
University of Kent,          |- Ecosystems Analysis and Management Group,
Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NF, UK |  Department of Biological Sciences,
Email: address@hidden   |  University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
URL: http://www.cs.ukc.ac.uk/|  Phone: (01203) 523718  |  Fax: (01203) 524619
URL: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/ |http://www.oikos.warwick.ac.uk/ecosystems/EAMG.html
------- End of forwarded message -------


- -- 
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Steve Emsley                 Ecosystems Analysis & Management Group
 address@hidden              University of Warwick, England
 http://www.oikos.warwick.ac.uk/~sme/           (+44) (0)1598 753648
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------

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