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Artificial Societies

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Machine Learning

Synonyms

Agent-based computational models; Agent-based modeling and simulation; Agent-based simulation models

Definition

An artificial society is an agent-based, computer-implemented simulation model of a society or group of people, usually restricted to their interaction in a particular situation. Artificial societies are used in economics and social sciences to explain, understand, and analyze socioeconomic phenomena. They provide scientists with a fully controllable virtual laboratory to test hypotheses and observe complex system behavior emerging as result of the agents’ interaction. They allow formalizing and testing social theories by using computer code, and make it possible to use experimental methods with social phenomena, or at least with their computer representations, on a large scale. Because the designer is free to choose any desired agentbehavior as long as it can be implemented, research based on artificial societies is not restricted by assumptions typical in...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

    Authors
    1. Jürgen Branke
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    Editor information

    Editors and Affiliations

    1. School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2052

      Claude Sammut

    2. Faculty of Information Technology, Clayton School of Information Technology, Monash University, P.O. Box 63, Victoria, Australia, 3800

      Geoffrey I. Webb

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    © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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    Branke, J. (2011). Artificial Societies. In: Sammut, C., Webb, G.I. (eds) Encyclopedia of Machine Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30164-8_36

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