REU Site: Multi-Agent Simulations of Social Systems

摘要：本项目主要研究社会系统中的多智能体系统。建议的研究分为三个并行项目：1)支持自然人类决策的多智能体系统；2)可用于MAS的城市区域及其居民的模拟；3)系统的数据分析和可视化工具。学生将接受不同领域的培训，包括多代理系统的设计和实施、空间建模、系统评估的经验方法和数据分析的统计技术。此外，学生将参加专业会议，学习从阅读和讨论最近的论文中吸收最新的研究成果，并学习如何撰写和展示自己的研究成果。这一REU计划将重点放在强有力的指导和与学生的个人接触上，并将包括每周一次的课程，以帮助他们继续研究生学习。这项拟议的研究将开发一个新的多智能体框架。对MAS社区的贡献将包括一个多智能体系统，它代表了智能体和塑造智能体S行为的社会结构之间的动态交互，以及一个决策机制，它通过对人类直觉领域的建模来捕捉常见的人类决策态度。我们还将使用该MAS来模拟城市区域及其居民，并为该系统开发一个数据分析和可视化工具。学生将有机会深入研究MAS的核心领域，或将核心领域应用于计算机科学的不同学科。这个项目为文科机构创建了一个示范项目，解决了本科生接触研究的问题，以及对进入研究生院的途径的认识。虽然招生工作将在全国范围内进行，但我们将重点从代表性不足的群体中招收学生。我们特别感兴趣的是在南得克萨斯州许多拉美裔服务学院和大学注册的拉美裔学生。培养更多元化的工程和科学教授将大大有利于社会，不仅在南得克萨斯州，而且在全国范围内，促进少数族裔和女性更公平地参与计算机科学学科。

Abstract:This project focuses on the study of multi-agent systems (MAS) in social systems. The proposed research breaks into three parallelprojects: 1) multi-agent systems that support natural human decision- making, 2) a simulation of urban areas and their inhabitants that can be used in the MAS, and 3) a data analysis and visualization tool for the system. Students will receive training in a variety of areas, including multi-agent systems¡¯design and implementation, spatial modeling, empirical methods for system evaluation and statistical techniques for data analysis. In addition, students will attend professional meetings, learn to assimilate the latest research from reading and discussing recent papers, and learn how to write up and present the results of their own research. This REU program will focus on strong mentoring and individual contact with the students and will include weekly sessions to help them pursue graduate studies.Intellectual Merit. The proposed research will develop a new multi- agent framework. Contributions to the MAS community will include a multi-agent system that represents dynamic interactions between agents and social structures that shape the agent¡¯s behaviors, and a decision-making mechanism that captures the common human decision- making attitudes through modeling the domain of human intuition. We will also use this MAS to simulate urban areas and their inhabitants and develop a data analysis and visualization tool for the system. Students will have the opportunity to work in depth in the core area of MAS or with the application of the core area to different disciplines in computer science.Broader Impact. This project creates a model program for liberal arts institutions that addresses the exposure to research by undergraduates as well as awareness of the pathway to graduate school. While the recruiting effort for students will be nationwide, we will emphasize the recruitment of students from underrepresented groups. Of particular interest to us are Hispanic students enrolled at the many Hispanic serving colleges and universities in South Texas. Training a more diverse engineering and science professoriate will benefit society significantly, not only in South Texas but nationally, in promoting a more equitable participation of minorities and women in the computer science disciplines.