Spatial Simulation

david02

A new book by David O’Sullivan and George Perry called Spatial Simulation: Exploring Pattern and Process (Wiley, 2013) is an important landmark text for all those involved in CA and ABM. I quote from the back cover:

“O’Sullivan and Perry have written a book that defines the key principles and methods that underlie modelling and simulation, building on ways in which the elements that make up our systems move, diffuse and grow. They succeed magnificently in producing a gentle, unassuming and convincing picture of how spatial models work and are validated. Essential reading for all engaged in this field”.

There is a very handy web site too called Pattern and Process where you can explore the book and its examples. Click here.

David was our first PhD student in CASA graduating 13 years ago, and he is just in the process of moving from Auckland to Berkeley where doubtless he will continue with his interesting approaches to complexity theory and cities which are encapsulated in this work.

Posted in Agent-Based Models, Cellular Automata, Complexity, Emergence, Interactions, Scaling, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Cities, Brains, Percolation

brain

At ECCS ’13 this morning, Elsa Arcaute, Lecturer in Urban Modelling in CASA, is talking about our work on city size using percolation theory which has analogies to Hernan Makse’s work on percolation and the brain. Click here for the programme and the paper in the Arxiv on which is it based. You can also see all seven of us from CASA who attended  on the photograph of participants at ECCS the other day which is one the website but you will need a magnifying glass!

Posted in allometry, city size, Economies of scale, Fractals, power laws, Scaling, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

ECCS 13 in Barcelona

ECCS13

Several of us from the Mechanicity and Eunoia Projects are embarked on an expedition to the European Conference on Complex Systems held this year in Barcelona. Tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday, we present in various satellite sessions devoted to Complexity-Net, our ERC grant, and various sessions on sensing. On Friday, Elsa Arcaute presents our paper “Cities as Modules in the Brain Through Percolation Theory”. You can see the programme which is very large by clicking here.

Posted in Agent-Based Models, Complexity, Connectivity, Fractals, Hierarchy, Information, Networks, Scaling | Leave a comment