Week 4
Alan Isaac
Alan Isaac
==================
**Note:**
I am postponing the Gambler's Ruin assignment by one day!
It will be due tomorrow instead of today.
(Naturally you are free to turn it in today.)
Make sure you've completed all parts (see blow).
Do **not** post your code; submit your code via Blackboard.
**Reminder:**
Your two-page course project outline is due Friday.
Follow the ODD protocol, as detailed in chapters 3 and 4 of your textbook.
Your two-page outline should produce the core of the ``Info`` tab
for your project. (Comment: you are *not* expected to try to match
data from your model to the real world!)
**Reminder:**
Timely and substantive participation in the discussions is
a graded activity.
Readings
--------
**Required reading:**
Everyone should read:
- Lecture Notes: Reread Introduction to Implementation Verification
https://subversion.american.edu/aisaac/notes/compute-verification.xhtml
- Finish [railsback.grimm-2011-pup]_ ch. 6
- Blinder Model lecture notes (for discussion tomorrow):
https://subversion.american.edu/aisaac/notes/blinder_slides.xhtml
Graduate students should additionally read:
- [blinder-1973-qje]_ but skip the technical parts.
(Available through the library, through JSTOR.)
**Recommended (i.e., entirely optional) reading and resources:**
- none; focus on your project outline
Today's Assignments
--------------------
- Complete your Gambler’s Ruin project.
You are expected to submit working code.
If you are getting any error message you do not understand, **ask** about it.
Do **not** post your code. You will submit via Blackboard the following:
- ruin01.nlogo : the two-person gambler's ruin
- ruin02.nlogo : the n-person gambler's ruin, using arrays
- ruin03.nlogo : the n-person gambler's ruin, using patches
- lineplot.png : the line-plot you create in a spreadsheet
- histogram.png : your wealth histogram
- To the **Project Topics** thread, post a link to the
most important paper you have found related to your course project.
(This should be a paper you would like the class to read,
in order to be able to better discuss your project.)
If you cannot find a link, you can post the paper.
You should plan to devote this week to your course project.
I'd like to see discussion of your project on the list;
do not simply try to develop it in isolation or you will attempt too much.
I will reduce other demands of the course,
and I'll try to pick readings that you should find helpful for your project.
Some Possible Topics for Discussion
-----------------------------------
- Course Project: what difficulties are you running into
as you try to give an ODD description of your project?
(Post in the *ODD* thread.)
- [railsback.grimm-2011-pup]_ ch. 4 proposes some good
programming practices for your project. Which of these
did you find most useful for the Gambler's Ruin assignment?
(Post in the *NetLogo Programming* thread.)
- [railsback.grimm-2011-pup]_ ch. 6 proposes some good
verification practices for your project. Section 6.3.3
emphasized using print statements. Can you give an example
where this practice helped you? Section 6.3.6 suggests
writing test procedures. Can you suggest a useful test
procedure for someone working on the Gambler's Ruin assignment?
(Post in the *NetLogo Programming* thread.)
Extra Things to Try
-------------------
- Gambler's Ruin (patch version):
use ``scale-color`` to visually display the wealth of "agents" (i.e., patches).
- Gambler's Ruin (patch version):
use ``plabel`` to visually display the wealth of "agents" (i.e., patches).
Alan Isaac
Week 4: Tuesday
==================
**Reminder:**
Your Gambler's Ruin assignment is due today by midnight!
Make sure you've completed all parts.
Do **not** post your code; submit your code via Blackboard.
**Reminder:**
Each student was asked to post a link to a paper
supporting his or her course project by yesterday.
**Reminder:**
Your two-page course project outline is due Friday.
**Reminder:**
Timely and substantive participation in the discussions is
a graded activity.
Assignments
------------
- Term Project:
Work on your two-page course-project outline for Friday.
Remember to follow the ODD protocol.
(Doing this carefully will take quite some time!)
Readings
--------
**Required reading:**
- The Info tab for the Wealth Distribution model, in the NetLogo Models Library.
(This model is an adaptation of the Epstein and Axtell (1996) Sugarscape model.)
Prepare for discussion tomorrow.
**Recommended reading:**
- none; work on your project!
Some Possible Topics for Discussion
-----------------------------------
- Course Project:
Are there parts of your project description
that do not seem to fit into the ODD protocol?
If so, what are they?
- Gambler’s Ruin:
Continue your disucssion. Does the Gambler’s Ruin
shed light on the role of institutions?
- Verification:
What model verification strategies
worked and what did not work for you?
Alan Isaac
Week 4: Wednesday
==================
**Reminder:**
Your two-page course project outline is due Friday.
**Reminder:**
Timely and substantive participation in the discussions is
a graded activity. Please participate in **discussion**.
Posting a summary of a reading *begins* a discussion.
Assignments
------------
- Course project: keep working on your 2 page description!
Readings
--------
**Required reading:**
Everyone should finish:
- [railsback.grimm-2011-pup]_ ch. 6
Graduate students should additionally read:
- none; focus on your project outline
**Recommended (i.e., entirely optional) reading and resources:**
- none; focus on your project outline
Some Possible Topics for Discussion
-----------------------------------
- Course Project:
Are there parts of your project
description that do not seem to fit into the
ODD protocol? If so, what are they?
- Wealth Distribution model (Models Library):
What are the model goals?
Does the model seem structured to meet these goals?
- Blinder model (based on my posted lecture notes):
What are the model goals?
Does the model seem structured to meet these goals?
What is the gain from implementing as an agent-based model.
Alan Isaac
Week 4: Thursday
==================
**Reminder:**
Your two-page course project outline is due tomorrow!
Follow the ODD protocol, as detailed in chapters 3 and 4 of your textbook.
Your two-page outline should produce the core of the ``Info`` tab
for your project. (Comment: you are not expected to try to match
data from your model to the real world!)
As with all submitted assignments, post your outline to Blackboard.
My preference is for you also to share your outline with the class
by posting it to our group. Ideally you will profit as the
class reads and comments on your project outline.
But if you prefer not to share, doing so is optional.
**Reminder:**
Timely and substantive participation in the discussions is
a graded activity.
Readings
--------
**Required reading:**
- Segregation Model: ``Info`` tab
Graduate students should additionally read:
- none; focus on your project outline
**Today's recommended (i.e., entirely optional) reading and resources:**
- none; focus on your project outline
Assignments
------------
- Finish up your two-page outline to post by tomorrow.
- Segregation model:
experiment with the model;
prepare for discussion tomorrow.
- If you have not already done so,
Alan Isaac
Week 4: Friday
==================
**Reminder:**
Your two-page course project outline is due today (by midnight EST).
Post it to Blackboard for grading.
My preference is for you to also share your outline with the class
by posting it to the *Project Topics* thread.
This allows the class to read and comment on your project outline.
But if you prefer not to share this way, just let me know.
**Reminder:**
Timely and substantive participation in the discussions is
a graded activity. Please participate in **discussion**.
Posting a summary of a reading *begins* a discussion.
(See the syllabus for details.)
Assignments
------------
- Post your two-page project outline today (Friday).
- Start on the Segregation assignment, due next Wednesday.
(Be sure to do the Behavior Space readings and exercises first!)
Please allow at least 10 hours to complete this assignment.
Post questions or observations in the *Segregation* thread.
- Experiment with Conway's Game of Life:
NetLogo > File > Models Library > Sample Models > Computer Science > Cellular Autonomata > Life
Post questions or observations in the *Model's Library* thread.
- If you have not already done so,
post a link to the most important paper you have
found related to your course project. (This should be a
paper you would like the class to read, in order to be able
to better discuss your project.) If you cannot find a link,
you can post the paper. You should plan to devote
this week to your course project. I'd like to see discussion
of your project on the list; do not simply try to develop it
in isolation or you will attempt too much. I will reduce other demands
of the course, and I'll try to pick readings that you should
find helpful for your project.
Readings
--------
**Required reading:**
- [railsback.grimm-2011-pup]_ ch. 8
Topic emphasis: Behavior Space
(You need this for the next homework assignment!)
- Reread Lecture Notes: Introduction to Implementation Verification
(supplements [railsback.grimm-2011-pup]_ ch. 6).
Lecture emphasis for today: file output.
- Reread Lecture Notes: File-Based IO
https://subversion.american.edu/aisaac/notes/netlogo-intro.xhtml#file-based-io
(You may need this to get data from your model.)
- Tesfatsion, Leigh,
"Introduction to Cellular Automata,"
http://www.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ308/tesfatsion/CellularAutomataIntro.LT.pdf
- Lecture notes: Cellular Automata.
(To correctly view the math, you may need to view this in FireFox.)
Graduate students should additionally read:
- none; focus on your project outline
**Recommended (i.e., entirely optional) reading and resources:**
- none; focus on your project outline
Some Possible Topics for Discussion
-----------------------------------
- Game of Life:
should this model interest social scientists?
- Cellular Automata:
should CA interest social scientists?
- Segregation:
is the Schelling model a cellular automaton?
Things You Should Try
---------------------
- You learned how to use ``export-plot`` to write data to a file.
After reading about how to write data to a file
(in the readings above),
modify your 2-person Gambler's Ruin model to write to a file two numbers each tick:
the tick and the wealth of the first player.
(Do not forget your ``file-close`` when you are done!)
Discuss any problems you have with this exercise.