Scribner Seminar Program
Course Description
Life in a Simulated World
Instructor(s): Lucy Oremland, Mathematics
An agent-based modeling approach to studying natural phenomena in life and social sciences, games, and popular culture. Agent-based models are computational models that explore how complex dynamics arise as individuals, or agents, interact within their virtual environment. Students will learn how to analyze and design computer models of real-world scenarios--such as emergence of flocking in birds, patterns in rule-based games, and the spread of disease within a society--using the programming environment NetLogo. Students will also critique the agent-based approach by considering interpretative and philosophical issues within the context of popular models in the social sciences. No prior coding experience required.
Course Offered: