Dear Colleagues:
As part of Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s graduate distance learning program in system dynamics computer simulation modeling this summer I will be teaching an introductory course in agent based modeling. As this is an introductory course, no knowledge of either system dynamics or ABM is required.
The course will provide a sweeping overview of agent-based modeling including the strengths and weaknesses of various ABM software platforms, the details of the NetLogo modeling platform, well-known cellular autonoma and multi-agent models, the ABM modeling process, and cutting-edge topics in ABM. Of note is that a portion of the course will be devoted to comparing and contrasting system dynamics and agent-based modeling, and on guidelines for determining when it is appropriate to use each modeling technique.
The course will run on-line via the Blackboard software platform from May 24, 2010 to July 29, 2010. All lectures will be recorded and placed on the course site, along with models, Power Point presentations, PDFed articles, and other relevant material. A student’s grade will be determined by the points he/she earns on a series of weekly homework exercises and the points he/she earns on a term-long modeling project. A teaching assistant and I will be actively monitoring the ebb and flow of the course via an on-line discussion board and e-mail exchanges.
Courses in WPI’s graduate distance leaning program in system dynamics can be taken individually, or as part of a program leading to a Certificate of Graduate Study or a Masters of Science Degree. For more information please contact me (Professor Michael J. Radzicki) at: [email protected] or point your browser to: http://online.wpi.edu/
Cheers.
Mike Radzicki