Multi-Agent-Based Simulation: Second International Workshop, MABS 2000, Boston, MA, USA, July 2000; Revised and Additional Papers(1979 Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

This book is devoted to investigating and developing the synergy between software engineering for multi-agent systems and agent-based social simulation; it originates from the Second International Workshop on Multi-Agend-Based Simulation, MABS 2000, held in Boston, MA, USA in July 2000, in conjunction with ICAMS 2000. Besides the thoroughly revised full papers accepted for presentation at the workshop, two invited papers and an introductory survey by one of the volume editors have been added in order to round off the scope and achieve complete coverage of all relevant topics. The book competently surveys the state of the art in the area by offering topical sections on model design issues, applications, simulating social relations and processes, and formal approaches.

Table of Contents:
Editorial Introduction.- Editorial Introduction: Messy Systems ? The Target for Multi Agent Based Simulation.- Model Design Issues.- The Use of Models - Making MABS More Informative.- Effects of Interaction Topology and Activation Regime in Several Multi-Agent Systems.- Simulating Emergence and Downward Causation in Small Groups.- Applications.- Modeling a Virtual Food Court Using DECAF.- How to Combine Reactivity and Anticipation: The Case of Conflicts Resolution in a Simulated Road Traffic.- Multi Agent Based Simulation: Beyond Social Simulation.- A Multi-Agent Based Simulation of Sand Piles in a Static Equilibrium.- Speeding Up CapBasED-AMS Activities through Multi-Agent Scheduling.- Simulating Social Relations and Processes.- The Micro-Macro Link in DAI and Sociology.- The Simmel Effect: Imitation and Avoidance in Social Hierarchies.- Cooperation without Memory or Space: Tags, Groups and the Prisoner’s Dilemma.- Sexual Attraction and Inter-sexual Dominance among Virtual Agents.- Multi-Agent Modelling and Renewable Resources Issues: The Relevance of Shared Representations for Interacting Agents.- Understanding Climate Policy Using Participatory Agent-Based Social Simulation.- Formal Approaches.- Enhancing Multi-Agent Based Simulation with Human-Like Decision Making Strategies.- Mapping the Envelope of Social Simulation Trajectories.- Agent-Based Social Simulation with Coalitions in Social Reasoning.

Review :
From the reviews: "This volume is based on papers accepted for the Second International Workshop on Multi-Agent-based Simulation … . The editorial efforts, however, make it a reader … which can successfully be used in a university seminar … . Our students admitted that they had learnt a lot in reading, reporting and reviewing the selected papers … . All other readers will certainly draw the same profit from reading this book. In the end, we can conclude our review with a recommendation to use this book in more university seminars … ." (Michael Möhring and Klaus G. Tritzsch, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, April, 2002)