MULTI-AGENT SIMULATORS: FLEXIBLE TOOLS TO REPRODUCE COLLECTIVE BEHAVIORS I. the use of force-fields

Abstract

The use of an agent-based simulation approach to reproduce the collective behaviour of a generic population exposed to force fields of different intensity and localization will be described and justified in terms of reliability and straightforward implementation. The discussed specific examples include a toy-model of the Big-Bang theory, the structural changes induced on an initially homogeneous cell population and a longitudinal study of medical students’ learning performance. The relatively easy extension to include in the simulations sophisticated environmental effects and cooperative interactions between agents, will be discussed as a great enhancement of the euristic power of the models at hand.