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Published in:
2006 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
Agents, Equations and All That: On the Role of Agents in Understanding Complex Systems
Authors : Roberto Serra, Marco Villani
Published in: Reasoning, Action and Interaction in AI Theories and Systems
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
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Differential equations and agent-based models are different formalisms which can be applied to describe the evolution of complex systems. In this paper, it is shown how differential equations can describe interactions among agents: it is pointed out that their capabilities are broader than is often assumed, and it is argued that such an approach should be preferred whenever applicable. Also discussed are the circumstances in which it is necessary to resort to agent-based models, and a rigorous approach is advocated in these cases. In particular, the relationship between the model and a theory of the processes under consideration provides both stimuli and constraints for the model. This relationship is discussed both in general terms and with reference to a specific example, which concerns a model of innovation processes.