Modeling multiagent systems as self-organized critical systems

The general framework of our project is to provide a computational model of physical complex processes for simulation needs. In geophysics, the study of this kind of system has led to the concept of self-organized criticality, to explain the repeatability of emergent phenomena in nature. To model self-organized criticality within computers, the original part of the work is to propose a multiagent platform where emergent phenomena are dynamically created during simulation at the time they occur. The aim of this paper is to show that multiagent systems, studied as emergent systems, can help in providing adequate mechanisms needed to model self-organization in complex systems. The paper introduces some key issues associated with the understanding of intrinsic mechanisms leading to self-organization and discusses the implementation of such mechanisms in an agent architecture. Finally, it describes a life-sized experimentation in earthquake simulation for validation