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AGENT-BASED MODELS Nigel Gilbert University of Surrey, Guildford, UK 1. THE IDEA OF AGENT-BASED MODELING Agent-based modeling is a new analytical method for the social sciences, but one that is quickly becoming popular. This short book explains what agent-based modeling is. It also warns of some dangers and describes typi- cal ways of doing agent-based modeling. Finally, it offers a range of exam- ples from many of the social sciences. This ?rst chapter begins with a brief overview of agent-based model- ing before contrasting it with other, perhaps more familiar forms of mod- eling and describing several examples of current agent-based modeling research. Chapter 2 goes into more detail, considering a range of metho- dological and theoretical issues and explaining what ‘‘agents’’ are. Chap- ter 3 dives into the speci?cs of building agent-based models, reviewing available software platforms and showing step by step how one can build an agent-based model using one of these. Chapter 4 provides some prac- tical advice about designing agent-based models, using them in social science research, and publishing articles based on agent-based modeling. Finally, Chapter 5 discusses the future of agent-based modeling research and where advances are likely to be made. The book concludes with a list of resources useful to agent-based modelers on the Web and in print. Agent-based simulation has become increasingly popular as a modeling approach in the social sciences because it enables one to build models where individual entities and their interactions are directly represented. In comparison with variable-based approaches using structural equations, or system-based approaches using differential equations, agent-based simulation offers the possibility of modeling individual heterogeneity, representing explicitly agents’ decision rules, and situating agents in a geographical or another type of space. It allows modelers to represent in a natural way multiple scales o