One of the interesting aspects of modeling is that it is a process itself.
During this process we are often likely to learn about a phenomenon
to a level that was unknown beforehand. As simulation researchers, we
sometimes forget this aspect of modeling when we consider only model
validation. Therefore, there is pure educational value in building models
aside from the formal verification and validation procedures which we
apply to ensure correctness and reasonability of the model to reflect
reality.
-paul
Jean Czerlinski wrote:
> >The challenge is that of modelling emergent unaware, functional social
> >phenomena (ex. unaware cooperation, non-orchestrated problem solving, and
> >swarm intelligence) also among cognitive and planning agents.
>
> While I am very sympathetic to this goal, I worry whether building such
> models will gain us any insights. It is difficult enough to understand why
> a complex cognitive model (of a single agent) produces the output it does,
> why and how it works or doesn't work. And it is difficult enough to
> understand why the ("social") interactions of simple agents/units produce
> the output they do, why and how they work or don't work. If we combine
> complex agents with (fairly complex) social interactions, I fear we will
> end up with a model that, even if more realistic, is nearly as impenetrable
> as reality itself.
>
> What methods do you propose for understanding the complex interactions of
> complex agents? For example, how will you explore the effects of different
> parameter values if you have some 50 (or perhaps even more) parameter? How
> will you distinguish between social outcomes that are primarily caused by
> agent cognitions, those caused primarily by social interactions, and those
> caused by some special combination of both?
>
> These are not meant as rhetorical questions. I would really like to hear
> the answers!
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Jean Czerlinski, graduate student
> Dept. of Sociology
> University of Chicago
--
Dr. Paul A. Fishwick E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Dept. of Computer & Info Phone & FAX: (352) 392-1414
Science and Engineering WWW: http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~fishwick
University of Florida (PGP Key available at above WWW address)
P. O. Box 116120
332 Bldg. CSE, Gainesville, FL 32611-6120
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