Comparison of agent-based modeling software

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In the last few years, the agent-based modeling (ABM) community has developed several practical agent based modeling toolkits that enable individuals to develop agent-based applications. More and more such toolkits are coming into existence, and each toolkit has a variety of characteristics. Several individuals have made attempts to compare toolkits to each other (see references). Below is a chart intended to capture many of the features that are important to ABM toolkit users.

Contents

Comparison of ABM Software

Agent Based Modeling Toolkit Comparison
PlatformPrimary DomainSupporting OrganizationLicenseProgramming LanguageOperating SystemUser Support GIS Capabilities3D CapabilitiesLast Update
Adaptive Modeler Building agent-based market simulation models for price forecasting of real-world stocks and other securitiesAltreva; Utrecht, NetherlandsProprietary; free evaluation version available for research and experimentation (some limitations but no expiration)No programming skills required. An adaptive form of genetic programming is used to create trading rules. Users can select functions to be used in the genetic programming engine.WindowsFAQ, documentation, tutorial, examples, forum, email supportUn­knownYes Up to 3 agent properties can be visualized in real-time using 2D graphics and colorJuly 20, 2020 (Version 1.6.0) [1]
AgentScript Browser-based agent-based modeling platformOwen Densmore, RedfishGroup LLCOpensource GPL, and other licensing availableJavascriptAll OS with BrowsersDocumentation, Tutorials, examples, Google Groups, email and consulting servicesYes supports web GIS standards (raster/vector tiles, wms, kml and geojson)YesAugust 7, 2022 [2]
AnyLogic Agent-based general purpose; also supports discrete event and system dynamics simulations.The AnyLogic Company; Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, USAProprietary; Free Personal Learning Edition availableJavaLinux, macOS, WindowsDemos; training; online community; ask a question; online help; tutorials; consulting servicesYes: supports both tile maps from free online providers and shapefile-based mapsYesSeptember 24, 2021 [3] [4]
FAMEdistributed agent-based modelling of energy systems and marketsGerman Aerospace Center, GermanyApache version 2Java; PythonCross-platformslide-shows; documentation; examples; email supportNoNoJuly 8, 2022 (Version 1.4.0) [5]
Framsticks 2D/3D simulations of (evolving) multi-agent systems and artificial lifePoznan University of Technology, Poznan, PolandDepends on module: GPL/LGPL/ProprietaryFramScript (similar to JavaScript)Cross-platformEmail developer; tutorials; manual; FAQ; forums; API; documentation; selected publications; examplesYesYesJuly 14, 2015 [6]
GAMA Platform Modeling and simulation development environment for building spatially explicit agent-based simulations.IRD/SU international research unit UMMISCO, FranceGPL v3.0GAML (GAma Modeling Language) for simulations, Java for extensionsWindows; Linux; *nix; Mac OS Xtutorials; manual; FAQ; forums; documentation; selected publications; examplesYesYesApril 15, 2023;9 months ago (version 1.9.1) [7]
MASON General purpose; social complexity, physical modeling, abstract modeling, AI/machine learningGeorge Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USAAcademic Free License (open source)JavaCross-platformMailing list; documentation; Tutorials; third party extensions; reference papers; APIYesYesSeptember 3, 2019 (Version 20) [8]
NetLogo Social and natural sciences; Help beginning users get started authoring modelsNorthwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USAGPLNetLogoCross-platformDocumentation; FAQ; selected references; tutorials; third party extensions; defect list; mailing listsYesYesSeptember 29, 2022 (Version 6.3.0) [9]
Repast Social sciencesArgonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago; Lemont, Illinois, USABSDJava (RepastS, RepastJ); Python (Repast4Py); Visual Basic, .Net, C++, J#, C# (Repast.net)Cross-platformDocumentation; mailing list; defect list; reference papers; external tools; tutorials; FAQ; examplesYesYesDecember 22, 2022 (Version 2.10.0) [10]
Soar General purpose AI; human performance modeling; learning (including explanation-based learning)John E. Laird, Clare Bates Congdon, Mazin Assanie, Nate Derbinsky and Joseph Xu; Division of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USABSDSoar 1 to 5 in Lisp; Soar 6 in C; Java, C++, TCLCross-platformDocumentation; FAQ; selected publications; defect list; third party extensions; mailing list; contact authors; tutorial; examples; wikiUn­knownUn­knownJuly 28, 2017 (Version 9.6.0) [11]
StarLogo Social and natural sciences; Educators; for students to model the behavior of decentralized systems; user friendly for K–12 studentsMitchel Resnick, Eric Klopfer, and others at MIT Media Lab and The MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, MA, USAFree (closed source) – Clearthought Software License, Version 1.0StarLogo (an extension of Logo)Cross-platformMailing list; tutorials; FAQ; bug list; documentation; developer contactsUn­knownUn­knownNovember 27, 2018 [12]
Swarm General purpose agent basedSwarm Development GroupGPLJava; Objective-CCross-platformWiki; tutorials; examples; documentation; FAQ; selected publications; mailing listsUn­knownUn­known2005 [13]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visual programming language</span> Programming language written graphically by a user

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NetLogo</span>

NetLogo is a programming language and integrated development environment (IDE) for agent-based modeling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FLTK</span>

Fast Light Toolkit (FLTK) is a cross-platform widget library for graphical user interfaces (GUIs), developed by Bill Spitzak and others. Made to accommodate 3D graphics programming, it has an interface to OpenGL, but it is also suitable for general GUI programming.

An agent-based model (ABM) is a computational model for simulating the actions and interactions of autonomous agents in order to understand the behavior of a system and what governs its outcomes. It combines elements of game theory, complex systems, emergence, computational sociology, multi-agent systems, and evolutionary programming. Monte Carlo methods are used to understand the stochasticity of these models. Particularly within ecology, ABMs are also called individual-based models (IBMs). A review of recent literature on individual-based models, agent-based models, and multiagent systems shows that ABMs are used in many scientific domains including biology, ecology and social science. Agent-based modeling is related to, but distinct from, the concept of multi-agent systems or multi-agent simulation in that the goal of ABM is to search for explanatory insight into the collective behavior of agents obeying simple rules, typically in natural systems, rather than in designing agents or solving specific practical or engineering problems.

Swarm is the name of an open-source agent-based modeling simulation package, useful for simulating the interaction of agents and their emergent collective behaviour. Swarm was initially developed at the Santa Fe Institute in the mid-1990s, and since 1999 has been maintained by the non-profit Swarm Development Group. Also known as the Swarm Simulation System, it is available for free and use, covered by the GNU General Public License.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hopsan</span>

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The Recursive Porous Agent Simulation Toolkit (Repast) is a widely used free and open-source, cross-platform, agent-based modeling and simulation toolkit. Repast has multiple implementations in several languages and built-in adaptive features, such as genetic algorithms and regression.

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MASON is a multi-agent simulation environment developed in Java.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">GAMA Platform</span> Simulation platform

GAMA is a simulation platform with a complete modelling and simulation integrated development environment (IDE) for building spatially explicit agent-based simulations.

CovidSim is an epidemiological model for COVID-19 developed by Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team, led by Neil Ferguson. The Imperial College study addresses the question: If complete suppression is not feasible, what is the best strategy combining incomplete suppression and control that is feasible and leads to acceptable outcomes?

References

  1. ↑ "Altreva - Stock market forecasting software using agent-based market simulation models". www.altreva.com. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  2. ↑ "Agentscript Github". GitHub .
  3. ↑ (Version 8.7.7) "AnyLogic latest version - 8.7.7". www.anylogic.com. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  4. ↑ "Anylogic changes history". Anylogic. Archived from the original on 8 December 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  5. ↑ "FAME-Framework · GitLab". GitLab. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  6. ↑ History framsticks.com
  7. ↑ "Releases · gama-platform/Gama". GitHub .
  8. ↑ "Releases · eclab/Mason". GitHub .
  9. ↑ "Releases · NetLogo/NetLogo". GitHub .
  10. ↑ "Releases · Repast/Repast.simphony". GitHub .
  11. ↑ "Releases · SoarGroup/Soar". GitHub .
  12. ↑ "Welcome".
  13. ↑ "Swarm:Stable release - Swarm".
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