Introductory tutorial: Agent-based modeling and simulation

Agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS) is an approach to modeling systems comprised of individual, autonomous, interacting “agents.” There is much interest in many application problem domains in developing agent-based models. Agent-based modeling offers ways to model individual behaviors and how behaviors affect others in ways that have not been available before. Applications range from modeling agent behavior in supply chains and the stock market, to predicting the success of marketing campaigns and the spread of epidemics, to projecting the future needs of the healthcare system. Progress in the area suggests that ABMS promises to have far-reaching effects on the way that businesses use computers to support decision-making and researchers use agent-based models as electronic laboratories to aid in discovery. This brief tutorial introduces agent-based modeling by describing the basic ideas of ABMS, discussing some applications, and addressing methods for developing agent-based models.