Alan Isaac
Alan Isaac
Week 7: Monday
==================
This week is dedicated to your projects.
Discussion of your projects is strongly encouraged.
However, discussion this week is *not* a graded activity.
Focus on completing your project!
Remember: your code and paper are due Thursday by midnight.
See the syllabus for details.
If you cannot make this deadline, please request an incomplete
for up to one week. (But remember, an incomplete is an albatross*,
and it really must be completed.)
An incomplete request must include a project-status update
that demonstrates you are actively working on your course project.
You must also state the reason for the incomplete request
and propose a completion date of no later than Friday next week.
Before requesting an incomplete, you must first commit your project
code to the repository; this is part of the status update.
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatross_(metaphor)
Readings
--------
**Required reading:**
- [epstein.axtell-1996-brookings]_ Ch. 3
**Recommended (i.e., entirely optional) reading and resources:**
- http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/pdfs/data/1996/150-21/15021-18.pdf
(A popularized overview of Sugarscape.)
- http://www2.econ.iastate.edu/tesfatsi/EpsteinAxtellSugarscapeBook.LTReview.pdf
(A very brief review of the EA book, with the aim of dragging you out of
the weeds and giving you more of an overview.)
- http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~rjg7v/pubs/capstone_08_horres_rgore.pdf
(Discussion of Economics and Sugarscape.)
Additional recommended reading for graduate students:
- [railsback.grimm-2011-pup]_ Ch. 13
Assignments
------------
- You should have received from the university an
online Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) link.
I have worked very hard on this course and would like to
learn how to improve it from your SET comments and observations.
If you have not already done so, please fill out the SET.
One change I am considering is limiting the freedom to choose a
modeling project by requiring that students choose from a short
list of existing NetLogo models to modify and experiment with.
I would especially appreciate reactions to that possible change.
- The main assignment for this week is: finish your project!
All other aspects of the course take a back seat to this core goal.
- By today, your model should be "feature complete"
(i.e., no more model changes, aside from bug fixes).
After today, you should just be documenting, testing, fixing bugs,
and writing up your results.
- You should now be running experiments your model.
If you do not yet have a working model,
you need to post requests for help to the discussion list **immediately**.
- Do not forget to document and test your code.
Do not leave this critical part of your project to the last minute!
As emphasized in this course, documenting and testing your code
is part of the development process, not an afterthought.
Some Possible Topics for Discussion
-----------------------------------
- Course Project:
Any aspect of your course project!
- Sugarscape:
What do EA mean by "the emergence of history"?
What do EA mean by "cultural dynamics".
What are "cultural tags"?
Do you think that cultural tags help us understand cultural dynamics?
- Telemarketer Model (RG ch. 13):
What do we learn about agent-based modeling from the Telemarketer Model?
Alan Isaac
==================
This week is dedicated to your projects.
Discussion of your projects is strongly encouraged.
However, discussion this week is *not* a graded activity.
Focus on completing your project!
Your code and paper are due Thursday by midnight.
You should have frozen your code and be working on your writeup.
If you do not yet have a working model, you need to write for help,
**immediately**, either to the discussion list (best, since it shares
problems) or to me (if you have a problem you prefer not to share).
Do not forget to document your code!
Readings
--------
**Required reading:**
- [epstein.axtell-1996-brookings]_ Ch. 4
(Comment: if you have not had intermediate micro theory,
you may skim the technical details.)
**Recommended (i.e., entirely optional) reading and resources:**
(A thought piece on the methods of Sugarscape.)
- http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/114140
(An accessible discussion of some Sugarscape extensions.)
- [grune-2009-synthese]_
(Artificial societies as social explanations.)
http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/3669/1/ACEpaper070925.pdf
Additional recommended reading for graduate students:
(Survey of some tools of the agent-based modeling trade.
This is just for skimming and bookmarking, in case you
need this information in the future.)
Assignments
------------
- The main assignment for this week is: finish your project!
All other aspects of the course take a back seat to this core goal.
-----------------------------------
- Course Project:
- Sugarscape:
How might trade affect "carrying capacity"?
Does EA's Sugarscape give us insight into this relationship?
- Sugarscape:
What is horizontal inequality? Why do agent-based models
produce horizontal inequality? Is this relevant for the
understanding of outcomes in the real world?
- All past topics.
Alan Isaac
Week 7: Wednesday
==================
**Reminder:**
Your code and paper are due tomorrow by midnight.
You should have frozen your code (no more changes!)
and be finishing your writeup.
Assignments
------------
- Finish your project!
All other aspects of the course take a back seat to this core goal.
Readings
--------
**Required Reading:**
Make sure you finish Epstein and Axtell ch 1-4.
It is just too fun to skip.
**Recommended Reading:**
- [janssen-2009-jasss]_ (Artificial Anasazi; very cool)
Additional recommended reading for graduate students:
- [epstein.axtell-1996-brookings]_ Ch. 5
Some Possible Topics for Discussion
-----------------------------------
- Your course project: observatons and difficulties.
(This topic has priority!)
- All other topics from yesterday are possible as well.
Alan Isaac
================
Today is the last day of the first summer session and the
end of our course. Thanks to all of you for so many
interesting discussions!
**Reminder:**
Unless you have requested an incomplete,
your code and paper are due by midnight.
(Monday's post describes the rules for incompletes.)
**Reminder:**
Please fill out your online Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET).
The university treats these quite seriously, and I am personally
interested in your feedback on this new and evolving course.
Assignments
------------
- Finish your project!
--------
Feel free to post your papers to the list for other
students to read and comment on. (Not required!)
**Reminder:**
Once again, do make sure that you read Epstein and Axtell ch 1-4.
It is just too fun to skip.
- [epstein.axtell-1996-brookings]_ Ch. 6
Some Possible Topics for Discussion
-----------------------------------
Any aspect of your course projects.
- Sugarscape:
Any aspect of Sugarscape (or the related
Template Models).
- Course:
Any summary observations about the course
or the course materials.
Alan Isaac
Alan Isaac