Got a problem? Agent-based modeling becomes mainstream

Abstract

Agent-based modeling and simulation (ABS) is emerging as a key technology that is helping to enhance the understanding of social sciences. Systems ranging from organizations to economies and societies can be modeled to provide insights in ways that were previously not possible with quantitative approaches. The Sentient World Simulation (SWS) is an ultra-large-scale ABS developed to capture a comprehensive view of “Whole of Government” operations. The SWS supports a strategic geopolitical perspective that captures the interplay between military operations and the social, political, and economic landscapes. The SWS consists of a synthetic environment that mirrors the real world in all its key aspects. Models of individuals within the synthetic world represent the traits and mimic the behaviors of their real-world counterparts. As models influence each other and the shared synthetic environment, behaviors and trends emerge in the synthetic world as they do in the real world. The SWS reacts to actual events and incorporates newly sensed data from the real world into the virtual environment. Trends in the synthetic world can be analyzed to validate alternate worldviews. The SWS provides an open, unbiased environment in which to implement diverse models. This results in a single holistic framework that integrates existing theories, paradigms, and courses of action.