Grid-enabling Social Simulations

Grid-enabling Social Simulations: an example using the RePAst toolkit (Full day tutorial)

Introduction

Social Simulation is a relatively new social science research method. It allows social phenomena to be investigated by studying dynamic processes in computational models of populations. Social simulation complements existing social science research methods and builds on empirical findings and theories of social phenomena.

Applications of social simulation range from the study of basic demographic processes to uses in a range of interdisciplinary research areas such as public health, urban studies or ciminology, to name a few examples.

Aims

This tutorial aims to provide an introduction to the principles behind social simulation and to demonstrate these principles by teaching participants how to develop a realistic social simulation model using the Repast Simphony Toolkit. Building and running this realistic model will involve the creation of a model population on the basis of training versions of social science datasets and geographic information. In order to investigate hypotheses or to test the impact of policy interventions of real-world events, it is often necessary to run ensembles of simulation jobs. Running such ensembles is most effectively done on high throughput computing infrastructures such as grids. Participants will learn about grids and start using them by submitting ensembles of the models on a grid training infrastructure.

Prerequisites

*  Participants should bring their own laptops to the tutorial if possible. This will allow them to continue using the software used in the tutorial and to continue experimenting with their models. A limited number of laptops will be made available for those who cannot bring their own machine and notify the organisers in advance.

*  No familiarity with social simulation tools or grid computing is required. Programming skills are also not required.

*  Participants will be issued a USB stick containing all necessary software and a grid certificate required to access the grid training infrastructure.

Draft Content

*  What is social simulation?
*  What is Agent-Based Modelling (ABM)?
*  An ABM Example
*  The Repast Toolkit
*  Practical: Implementing a simple model
*  Population (Re-)Construction

Lunch Break

*  A More Realistic Model
*  Batch Runs: Ensemble and Parameter Studies
*  Grid Computing Quick Overview
*  Introduction to the GILDA infrastructure
*  Running a Job on GILDA
*  Running a Repast Model on GILDA

Tutors

David Fergusson (National e-Science Centre, University of Edinburgh)
Nick Malleson (School of Geography, University of Leeds)
Andy Turner (School of Geography, University of Leeds)
Alex Voss (National Centre for e-Social Science, University of Manchester)