Agent-Based Modeling (ABM)
Winter 2017
Psychology 120
Units
4
Prerequisite
Psychology, 1, 41, though not necessary
Some knowledge of computer programming is helpful, though not necessary
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: Jay Jefferson
Office: Young Hall 189
Email: jpjeff@ucdavis.edu
Phone:
Office Hours: 11:30am – 1:30pm on Thursdays for PSC 120
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: 188 (lecture and lab) Young Hall
Grading:
Assignments
There will be three written assignments (one page, single spaced review of an assigned paper) that you will email to jcschank@ucdavis.edu and jpjeff@ucdavis.edu.
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., multiple choice).
Final or Final Project
You have two options for the end of the course. You can take a multiple choice and short answer final. Or, you can do a final project which is a virtual experiment plus writeup.
Course Grade
The total grade will consist of
Course Grade = Final or Final Project (30%) + Assignments (20%) + Labs (25%) + Quizzes (25%) = 100
Course Evaluations
In order to receive feedback from all of you, 1% point will be added to your course grade for filling out the online evaluation at the end of the quarter. Just email Jay (jpjeff@ucdavis.edu) when you have finished, and 1% will be added to your grade. This also handles any “closeness” issues. For example, suppose you had 89.08% for a course grade. Close to an A-, but it is not 90%. If you fill out the course evaluation, your course grade becomes 90.08% and an A-. Thus, I don’t round up any grades even 89.99% to 90.00%.
CLASS SCHEDULE – Winter, 2017
Agent-Based Modeling (PSC 120 – Schank Instructor)
Lecture times – TR, 2:10-4:00 PM
1. Tuesday – Jan 10 – Organization and Introduction to Virtual Experiments
Lecture Notes: Lecture 1
2. Thursday – Jan 12 – Introduction continued, Eclipse Programming Environment and Java
Installing Eclipse and Mason.pdf
3. Tuesday – Jan 17 – Introduction to Java
4. Thursday – Jan 19 – Introduction to Java/Java Programing Lab
Lecture Notes:
5. Tuesday – Jan 24 – Introduction to Building an ABM in MASON
6. Thursday – Jan 26 – Quiz 1 (open “book”)
7. Tuesday – Jan 31 –Introduction to Building an ABM in MASON
8. Thursday – Feb 2 – Introduction to Building an ABM in MASON continued
aggregation and coordination.zip
9. Tuesday – Feb 7 –Finish Lecture, Lab on Building an ABM in MASON
10. Thursday – Feb 9– Lab on Building an ABM in MASON
11. Tuesday – Feb 14 –Quiz 2 (open “book”)
12. Thursday – Feb 16 –Introduction to Human Mate Choice
13. Tuesday – Feb 21 –Building ABM of Human Mate Choice, Lab on Human Mate Choice
14. Thursday – Feb 23 – Lab on Human Mate Choice
15. Tuesday – Feb 28 – Virtual Experiments and Parameter Sweeps
16. Thursday – Mar 2 – Lab on Human Mate Choice
17. Tuesday – March 7– Final Project Topics, The Evolution of Cooperation, Lab on Human Mate Choice
18. Thursday – March 9 – The Evolution of Cooperation continued
19. Tuesday – March 14 – Discussion and work on Final Projects
20. Thursday – March 16 –Discussion and work on Final Projects
21. March 24 – Final Project Due (3:30 PM)