Agent-Based Modeling (ABM)
Spring 2015
Psychology 120
Units
4
Prerequisite
Psychology, 1, 41, or permission of instructor
Some knowledge of computer programming is helpful,
Instructor: Jeff Schank
Email: jcschank@ucdavis.edu
Office: 268D Young Hall
Phone: 752-6332
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 1:00-2:00 PM and by appointment
TA: Sabine Durand
Office:: Young Hall 189
Email: scdurand9@googlemail.com
Phone::
Office Hours: Tuesday 1:00-2:00 PM and Thursday 12:00-2:00 PM
Course Objectives: You will become familiar with the basic ideas, methods, and programming skill required for agent-based modeling. You will also learn how to apply these ideas and techniques to the study of social and biological systems.
When:
Lectures and Labs: Tuesday and Thursday: 2:10 PM-4:00 PM
Where:
Lectures and Labs: 192 (lecture and first day) 188 (lecture and lab) Young Hall
Grading:
Attendance
Five percent of your grade will depend on showing up and participation. Here is how it works:
Lectures Missed Points Received
Days Missed Points 0-2 5 3 4 4 3 5 2 6 1 7 or more 0
Assignments
On an approximately bi-weekly basis, assignments will be given to you that will be due the following week and sent by email to jcschank@ucdavis.edu and scdurand9@googlemail.com. An Assignment can be redone for a higher grade providing it was originally turned in on time. All revised assignments must be turned in by the tenth week. Assignments can be done individually or you can work together, but each person must turn in their own assignment.
Please name your file with your own name. If I turned in an assignment, the file name for the first assignment would be:
Schank Jeff Assignment 1.docx
Labs
The course is a mixture of Lectures and Labs. There will be several labs throughout the quarter to work on programming problems and how to use and analyze agent-based models, the number, length, and frequency will be determined by the overall pace of the course. I try not to let people fall behind. Labs can be done in group. If you decide to form group, the maximum size is 3 people. If you complete a lab as a group, turn in one lab report with all your names on it. All members of a lab group will receive the same grade.
Quizes
There will be three quizzes during the quarter that vary in type (i.e., some multiple choice, short answers, essays).
Final Project
Final project Template.
Course Grade
The total grade will consist of
Final Project (25%) + Assignments (25%) + Labs (30%) + Pop Quizzes (15%) + Attendance (0 to 5 Percentage points) = 100
CLASS SCHEDULE – FALL, 2011
Agent-Based Modeling (PSC 120 – Schank Instructor)
Lecture times – TTH, 2:10-4:00 PM)
1. Tuesday – March 31 – Organization and Introduction
2. Thursday – April 2 – Levels of Organization, Complexity, and Causation
3. Tuesday – April 7 – Agent-Based Modeling
4. Thursday – April 9 – Agent-Based Modeling
5. Tuesday – April 14 – Agent-Based Modeling
Lecture Notes:
Lecture 5
6. Thursday – April 16 – Introduction to Mason and Java Programming
7. Tuesday – April 21 – Lab
8. Thursday – April 24 – Introduction to Mason and Java Programming
9. Tuesday – April 28 – Introduction to Building an ABM in MASON
10. Thursday – April 30 – Introduction to Building an ABM in MASON Continued …
11. Tuesday – May 5 – Lab on Building an ABM in MASON
12. Thursday – May 7 – Quiz 2 and finish Lab on Building an ABM in MASON
13. Tuesday – May 12 – How to make agents that aggregate and flock
14. Thursday – May 14 – Lab on aggregation and flocking
15. Tuesday – May 19 – Introduction to Human Mate Choice
16. Thursday – May 21 – Building ABM of Human Mate Choice
17. Tuesday – May 26 – Lab on Human Mate Choice
18. Thursday – May 28 – Lab on Human Mate Choice
19. Tuesday – June 2 – Discuss and start work on Final Project
20. Thursday – June 4 – Work on Final Project
21. June 10 – Final Project Due