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An agent could be an autonomous system that interacts with other systems El mié., 17 de abr. de 2019 10:57 a. m., Garry Sotnik <[log in to unmask]> escribió: > Hi all, > > Interesting discussion! To me, one of the main characteristics of an agent > is agency - the ability to act independently. I think any definition of an > agent or agent-based/multi-agent modeling should reflect it. Apologies for > not including a reference. > > Best, > > Garry > > On Wed, Apr 17, 2019 at 5:39 PM CASTELLANI, BRIAN C. < > [log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> as an alternative -- given that the initial question was "what are some >> different ways of defining agents?" -- in a recent article we explored >> agents from a *case-comparative perspective*, going back to Becker and >> Ragin's famous edited book, *What is a Case?"* And Byrne and Ragin's *Sage >> Handbook of Case-Based Methods*. We define agents as cases doing things >> and as complex systems. >> >> >> >> https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13645579.2018.1563972?scroll=top&needAccess=true&journalCode=tsrm20 >> >> >> >> --------------------------------------------------------- >> Brian Castellani, PhD. >> Professor of Sociology >> Durham University, UK >> >> Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry >> Northeastern Ohio Medical University >> Rootstown, USA >> >> Co-Editor, Routledge, UK >> Complexity in social science series >> <https://www.routledge.com/Complexity-in-Social-Science/book-series/CISS> >> >> Editorial Board, UK >> International Journal of Social Research Methodology >> <https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tsrm20/current> >> >> New 2018 book with Routledge, >> >> *The Defiance of Global Commitment: >> <http://www.routledge.com/9780815353171> A Complex Social Psychology >> <http://www.routledge.com/9780815353171>* >> >> Personal website <http://www.art-sciencefactory.com/briancastellani.html> >> >> <http://www.art-sciencefactory.com/briancastellani.html> >> >> ------------------------------ >> *From:* News and discussion about computer simulation in the social >> sciences <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Robert Zupko < >> [log in to unmask]> >> *Sent:* 17 April 2019 15:20:42 >> *To:* [log in to unmask] >> *Subject:* Re: [SIMSOC] Definition of an agent >> >> All: >> >> This is a very interesting question. Perhaps its due to the >> transdisciplinary nature of my dissertation (touching on both social >> simulation and chemistry), I take a fairly minimalist approach to defining >> ABM and agents, "[ABM] is a computational technique in which the system is >> described though agents’ interactions with the environment and amongst >> themselves (Axtell, 2000; Epstein and Axtell, 1996)." An "agent" in turn is >> then described as an entity within the system being described. I suppose an >> broader question for a canonical definition of ABM might be there should be >> a distinct meaning between ABM / IBMs or if the terms are in fact >> interchangeable as seems to be the practice. >> >> Regards, >> Robert Zupko >> >> On Wed, Apr 17, 2019 at 9:41 AM Gary Polhill <[log in to unmask]> >> wrote: >> >> Dear all, >> >> >> >> I am inclined to agree with Edmund, not least because I see Social >> Simulation as an interdisciplinary endeavour – being too precise about how >> we define what an agent is (and/or what an agent-based model is) risks >> shutting people out for possibly quite arbitrary reasons. That said, it >> would be interesting to review work claiming to be ‘agent-based’ to look at >> different classifications of ‘agent’ and (with a nod to Jim Doran’s later >> message), if we had access to computer code, at the formal algorithmic >> properties they have. A bottom-up approach to the definition would be so >> much more appropriate… :-) >> >> >> >> With Jiaqi Ge, I have tried adopting a ‘Dennettian’ approach in a rather >> obscure reference here: >> https://www.naturvardsverket.se/Documents/publikationer6400/978-91-620-6695-6.pdf?pid=16935 >> (see p. 51). We describe agency as a narrative concept – if it make sense >> in a particular context to give agency to something or someone, then it’s >> an agent. >> >> >> >> In this article ( >> https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10707-018-00340-z.pdf), >> agent-based models are defined (not authoritatively) thus: >> >> >> >> “ABMs must at least explicitly represent the following: a ‘sufficient’ >> number of entities (sorites paradox notwithstanding) individually; each >> such entity having some attributes that are, in some sense, ‘theirs’ and >> not others’; each such entity also having some dynamics that they are, in >> some sense, responsible for causing; with these dynamics having the >> potential to cause (directly or indirectly) changes to the attributes >> belonging to other such entities.” >> >> >> Gary >> >> >> >> *From:* News and discussion about computer simulation in the social >> sciences <[log in to unmask]> *On Behalf Of *Edmund Chattoe-Brown >> *Sent:* 17 April 2019 11:31 >> *To:* [log in to unmask] >> *Subject:* Re: [SIMSOC] Definition of an agent >> >> >> >> Dear All, >> >> I would take a different tack and say that one of the reasons why these >> sorts of definitional tasks are so difficult and controversial is because >> it is not clear what the _aim_ of definition is. What do we "gain" when we >> define (rather than just "illustrate") the concept of agents? You cannot >> remove some aspects of reality that you don't approve of just by definition >> (or people will argue with you endlessly). So how could one adjudicate >> "scientifically" the dispute about whether an agent must/needn't have >> "advanced reasoning capabilities?" (Which, of course, is another >> contestable definition and so on!) >> >> An example. We can "define" a household as two married adults living in >> the same house with dependent children (and marriage and dependent also >> have formal definitions). Then we can do some statistics to show (perhaps) >> that this kind of household is correlated with educational success. But >> then we have to allow that it is not being married that creates this >> correlation but whether the household is "harmonious" (which some >> cohabitation is and some marriage is not) and whether the parents engage >> with and support their children's schooling (ditto). We have done the >> research starting from a clear definition (and that is good) but the >> definition has not "saved us" from the complexities of social life behind >> it. Given than many ABM are not so empirical, we cannot ask whether one >> definition rather than another generates "better designed" research or >> "better fit with data" (or some other "worthy" outcome) and that is another >> reason why (IMO) such discussions tend to be relatively unproductive. >> >> All the best, >> >> Edmund >> >> -- >> Edmund Chattoe-Brown >> [log in to unmask] >> >> ######################################################################## >> >> To unsubscribe from the SIMSOC list, click the following link: >> https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=SIMSOC&A=1 >> >> >> The James Hutton Institute is a Scottish charitable company limited by >> guarantee. >> Registered in Scotland No. SC374831 >> Registered Office: The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie Dundee DD2 >> 5DA. >> Charity No. SC041796 >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> To unsubscribe from the SIMSOC list, click the following link: >> https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=SIMSOC&A=1 >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> To unsubscribe from the SIMSOC list, click the following link: >> https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=SIMSOC&A=1 >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> To unsubscribe from the SIMSOC list, click the following link: >> https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=SIMSOC&A=1 >> > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the SIMSOC list, click the following link: > https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=SIMSOC&A=1 > ######################################################################## To unsubscribe from the SIMSOC list, click the following link: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=SIMSOC&A=1