Agent-Based Modeling -- PSC 120 | Agent-Based Models

PSC 120 (ABM)

Agent-Based Modeling (ABM)

Spring 2012

Psychology 120

Units

Prerequisite

Psychology, 1, 41, or permission of instructor
Some knowledge of computer programming is helpful,

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: Elizabeth Matthews

Office:: Young Hall 189

Email: mematthews@ucdavis.edu

Phone::

Office Hours: Tuesday from 4PM to 6PM

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: 188 Young Hall

Grading:

Attendance

Five percent of your grade will depend on showing up and participation. Here is how it works:

Lectures Missed Points Received

Days Missed        Points
0-2                5
3                  4
4                  3
5                  2
6                  1
7 or more          0

Assignments

On an approximately bi-weekly basis, assignments will be given to you that will be due the following week and sent by email to jcschank@ucdavis.edu and mematthews@ucdavis.edu. An Assignment can be redone for a higher grade providing it was originally turned in on time. All revised assignments must be turned in by the tenth week. Assignments can be done individually or you can work together, but each person must turn in their own assignment.

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.

Pop Quizzes

Although there will be no formal exams in this course including no final, there will be a variable number of pop quizzes that vary in length.

Final Project

Final projects also can be done as a group of no more than 3, but higher expectations will be placed on group projects. The final project can be revised, but all revisions must be done by 6/14/12 (the day the final is scheduled). More information on what you can do as a final project will be posted later in the course.

Course Grade

The total grade will consist of

Final Project (25%) + Assignments (25%) + Labs + Pop Quizzes (45%) + Attendance (0 to 5 Percentage points) = 100

CLASS SCHEDULE – FALL, 2011

Agent-Based Modeling (PSC 120 – Schank Instructor)

Lecture times – TTH, 2:10-4:00 PM)

1. Tuesday – April 3 – Organization and Introduction

2. Thursday – April 5 – Introduction to Mason and Java Programming

3. Tuesday – April 10 – Introduction to Java Programming Continued …

Assignment 1

Quiz 1

4. Thursday – April 12 – Lab on Java Programming