ISBN: 3790815500
TITLE: Agent-Based Computational Demography
AUTHOR: Billari, Prskawetz (Eds.)
TOC:

Introduction: Agent-Based Computational Demography 1
Francesco C. Billari, Fausta Ongaro and Alexia Prskawetz
1 Introduction: Demographers Are Almost Absent in a Flourishing Field of Research 1
2 The Gap Between Theory and Techniques in Demography 3
3 The Added Gains of Agent-Based Computational Demography 4
4 Difficulties and Challenges for Agent-Based Computational Demography 6
5 Agent-Based Models in Demography: Examples in this Book 6
6 Discussion: The Potential Roles of Agent-Based Computational Demography 11
References 15
Data, Models, Theory and Reality: The Structure of Demographic Knowledge 19
Thomas K. Burch
1 Introduction 19
2 The Methodology of Ansley J. Coale 22
3 Nathan Keyfitz on the Fruitfulness of Abstract Modelling 27
4 A Model-Based View of Science 28
5 Elements of Science 32
6 Assessing Scientific Knowledge 35
7 Coda: On the Dangers of Dichotomies 37
References 39
The Role of Agent-Based Modelling in Demographic Explanation 41
Edmund Chattoe
1 Introduction 41
2 The Problem of Thin Social Processes 42
3 The Problem of Relating Existing Theories to ABM 46
4 Representing Social Context 47
5 Representing Cognitive Complexity 48
6 Collecting Appropriate Data 51
7 Conclusion 52
References 53
Diffusion Processes in Demographic Transitions: A Prospect on Using Multi Agent Simulation to Explore the Role of Cognitive Strategies and Social Interactions 55
Wander Jager and Marco A. Janssen
1 Introduction 55
2 Behavioural Rules in MAS 58
3 Decision Making 59
4 The Consumat Approach 62
5 A Possible Application of the Consumat Approach: The Diffusion of Contraceptives 64
6 Prospects for Applications of the Consumat Approach in Demographic Research Questions 67
7 Conclusions 69
References 70
The Collapse of the Berlin Wall: Simulating State-Level East to West German Migration Patterns 73
Frank Heiland
1 Introduction 73
2 Historical Background 74
3 Evidence on East to West German Migration 75
4 Theoretical Framework 76
5 Data and Stylized Facts 77
6 An Agent-Based Simulation Model 82
7 Conclusions 92
References 93
Agent-Based Modeling of Householders' Migration Behavior and Its Consequences 97
Itzhak Benenson, Itzhak Omer and Erez Hatna
1 Introduction 97
2 Agent-Based Modelling as a Tool for Analysis of Complex Multi-Agent Systems 98
3 Abstract Models of Residential Migration 102
4 A Real-World Agent-Based Model of Residential Choice and Migration 103
5 Discussion 112
6 Conclusions 112
References 113
Population-Wide Marriage Patterns Produced by Individual Mate-Search Heuristics 117
Peter M. Todd and Francesco C. Billari
1 Introduction 117
2 The Demographic Patterns of Age at Marriage 118
3 Modeling Sequential Search Processes 123
4 Implications and Conclusions 135
References 136
On the Cultural Evolution of Age-at-Marriage Norms 139
Francesco C. Billari, Alexia Prskawetz and Johannes Frnkranz
1 Introduction 139
2 Background 140
3 An Agent-Based Model 143
4 Results and Discussion 146
5 Summary and Prospects for Future Research 155
References 156
Bringing Behavior Back into Micro-Simulation: Feedback Mechanisms in Demographic Models 159
Mike Murphy
1 Introduction 159
2 Data and Methods 164
3 Results 166
4 Summary of Findings 172
References 173
Consequences of Mortality Crises in Pre-Modern European Towns: A Multiagent-Based Simulation Approach 175
Ulf Christian Ewert, Mathias Roehl and Adelinde M. Uhrmacher
1 Introduction 175
2 James 177
3 Implementation in James 177
4 First Experiments and Some Preliminary Results 185
5 Conclusions and Future Prospects of the Model 193
References 194
Agents, Hierarchies and Sustainability 197
Andreas Knig, Michael Mhring and Klaus G. Troitzsch
1 Setting: A Sugarscape-Like Grid 197
2 Agents: Overview 200
3 Experiments 206
4 Conclusion 209
References 210
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