The logic of the method of agent-based simulation in the social sciences: Empirical and intentional adequacy of computer programs

WOS:000235217900009 (Nº de Acesso Web of Science)The classical theory of computation does not represent an adequate model of reality for simulation in the social sciences. The aim of this paper is to construct a methodological perspective that is able to conciliate the formal and empirical logic of program verification in computer science, with the interpretative and multiparadigmatic logic of the social sciences. We attempt to evaluate whether social simulation implies an additional perspective about the way one can understand the concepts of program and computation. We demonstrate that the logic of social simulation implies at least two distinct types of program verifications that reflect an epistemological distinction in the kind of knowledge one can have about programs. Computer programs seem to possess a causal capability (Fetzer, 1999) and an intentional capability that scientific theories seem not to possess. This distinction is associated with two types of program verification, which we call empirical and intentional verification. We demonstrate, by this means, that computational phenomena are also intentional phenomena, and that such is particularly manifest in agent-based social simulation. Ascertaining the credibility of results in social simulation requires a focus on the identification of a new category of knowledge we can have about computer programs. This knowledge should be considered an outcome of an experimental exercise, albeit not empirical, acquired within a context of limited consensus. The perspective of intentional computation seems to be the only one possible to reflect the multiparadigmatic character of social science in terms of agent-based computational social science. We contribute, additionally, to the clarification of several questions that are found in the methodological perspectives of the discipline, such as the computational nature, the logic of program scalability, and the multiparadigmatic character of agent-based simulation in the social sciences

The structure and logic of interdisciplinary research in agent-based social simulation

WOS:000222772400002 (Nº de Acesso Web of Science)This article reports an exploratory survey of the structure of interdisciplinary research in Agent-Based Social Simulation. One hundred and ninety six researchers participated in the survey completing an on-line questionnaire. The questionnaire had three distinct sections, a classification of research domains, a classification of models, and an inquiry into software requirements for designing simulation platforms. The survey results allowed us to disambiguate the variety of scientific goals and modus operandi of researchers with a reasonable level of detail, and to identify a classification of agent-based models used in simulation. In particular, in the interdisciplinary context of social-scientific modelling, agent-based computational modelling and computer engineering, we analyse the extent to which these paradigmatic models seem to be mutually instrumental in the field. We expect that our proposal may improve the viability of submitting, explaining and comparing agent-based simulations in articles, which is an important methodological requirement to consolidate the field. We also expect that it will motivate other proposals that could further validate, extend or change ours, in order to refine the classification with more types of models

O papel da emergência em simulações de sociedades de agentes artificiais

Não há disciplina científica, a partir da segunda metade do século XX, que tenha contribuído de modo tão profundo para o ressurgimento do interesse científico e filosófico pelo conceito de "emergência" como a simulação computacional de sistemas complexos. Os modelos de simulação pertencem a uma classe de modelos distintos dos modelos teóricos tratáveis através de métodos analíticos. Embora possam ser baseados em modelos teóricos, a sua implementação em um computador implica um rol de tratamentos formais e informais, através de uma cadeia de transformação em sucessivos outros modelos, que torna o produto final de alguma forma autônomo da teoria ou do modelo que lhe deu origem.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Preface

The pervasiveness of open systems raises a range of challenges and opportunities for research and technological development in the area of autonomous agents and multi-agent systems. Open systems comprise loosely coupled entities interacting within a social space. These entities join the social space in order to achieve some goals that are unattainable by agents in isolation. However, when those entities are autonomous, they might misbehave and, furthermore, in open systems one may not know what entities will be active beforehand, when they may become active, or when they may leave the system

Using the Active Object Model to Implement Multi-Agent Systems

This paper discusses the implementation and runtime support for Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). We start presenting MAS in the context of Open Distributed Processing (ODP). Next, a model of a cognitive agent being currently developed at LIFIA is detailed. Taking this model as reference, we examine alternatives for supporting cognitive agents in distributed and heterogeneous environments. Finally, a distributed processing tool developed by the authors is presented. This tool follows the active object model and we show that active object and agent are strongly related concepts. Proc. of the 5th. IEEE Int. Conf. on Tools with Artificial Intelligence, 1993, Boston, USA. 1 Introduction Since the last decade, computer users and manufacturers were concerned about connectivity. Connectivity has enabled the replacement of large mainframes by a set of small and low priced personal computers and workstations. In order to integrate different computer systems, a large standardization effort is still b..