The Final Volume of the Groundbreaking Trilogy on
Agent-Based Modeling In this pioneering synthesis,
Joshua Epstein introduces a new theoretical entity:
Agent_Zero. This software individual, or ''agent,'' is
endowed with distinct emotional/affective,
cognitive/deliberative, and social modules. Grounded in
contemporary neuroscience, these internal components
interact to generate observed, often far-from-rational,
individual behavior. When multiple agents of this new
type move and interact spatially, they collectively
generate an astonishing range of dynamics spanning the
fields of social conflict, psychology, public health,
law, network science, and economics. Epstein weaves a
computational tapestry with threads from Plato, Hume,
Darwin, Pavlov, Smith, Tolstoy, Marx, James, and
Dostoevsky, among others. This transformative synthesis
of social philosophy, cognitive neuroscience, and
agent-based modeling will fascinate scholars and
students of every stripe. Epstein's computer programs
are provided in the book or on its Princeton University
Press website, along with movies of his ''computational
parables.'' Agent_Zero is a signal departure in what it
includes (e.g., a new synthesis of neurally grounded
internal modules), what it eschews (e. g., standard
behavioral imitation), the phenomena it generates (from
genocide to financial panic), and the modeling arsenal
it offers the scientific community. For generative
social science, Agent_Zero presents a groundbreaking
vision and the tools to realize it. |
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