Newsletter 50 - 01.09.2005

Important
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This newsletter is distributed only to members of the European Social Simulation Association for their own use. Please do not distribute further.
To join ESSA, register at: http://essa.eu.org
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1.By the way
2.ESSA Communication
3.Recent publications
4.Conferences, CfP & research schools
5.Software
6.Job opportunities

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1.By the way
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Some pictures of the 3rd ESSA Conference last week in Koblenz are available on the conference website
http://www.essa.eu.org/ESSA2005/
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Lessons in playing foreign policy game
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/09/11/lessons_in_playing_foreign_policy_game/?page=2
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Virtual sociology
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1853936,00.asp

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2.ESSA Communication
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Call for volunteers

Recently, Klaus Troitzsch has renovated the ESSA website as per the design. Bruce Edmonds suggested a number of sections, based upon the needs of browsers:
- Newbies who want to know more: information on introductory material, on any courses (summer schools), and other pointers.
- Those looking for papers on social simulation: a list of pointers to collections of papers accessible on the web, journals etc.
- Those wishing to know about publication opportunities: conferences, CfPs etc.: already catered for on the front page and the simsoc mailing list, they should be encourage to go there. Apart from the occasional "headline" advert (e.g. ESSA conference) this should be via the simsoc list. A pointer to the list and its archive should be prominent.
- Those wanting information on social simulation tools: languages, visualisation help, etc.

Were are then needing volunteers with specialist area knowledge to maintain pages on topics which interest them, e.g. participatory methods, M2M analysis, land-use etc.

Please send your candidatures to Frederic.Amblard@univ-tlse1.fr

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3.Recent publications
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Publications
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A collaborative driving system based on multiagent modelling and simulations
Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Volume 13, Issue 4, August 2005, Pages 320-345
Simon Hallé and Brahim Chaib-draa
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Agents in traffic and transportation: Exploring autonomy in logistics, management, simulation , and cooperative driving
Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Volume 13, Issue 4, August 2005, Pages 251-254
Ana L.C. Bazzan, Franziska Klugl and Sascha Ossowski

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To be published
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Agent-based model for managing composite product information
Computers in Industry, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 2 September 2005
Kary Framling, Timo Ala-Risku, Mikko Karkkainen and Jan Holmstrom
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Participatory modeling and analysis for sustainable forest management: Overview of soft system dynamics models and applications
Forest Policy and Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 22 August 2005
Guillermo A. Mendoza and Ravi Prabhu
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Analysis of village accessibility and its impact on land use dynamics in a mountainous province of northern Vietnam
Applied Geography, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 31 August 2005
Jean-Christophe Castella, Pham Hung Manh, Suan Pheng Kam, Lorena Villano and Nathalie Rachel Tronche

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Working papers
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A Simple Model of Recovery Dynamics after Mass Extinction
Ricard V. Solé, Joan Saldanya, José M. Montoya, and Douglas Erwin
SFI Working Paper 05-06-028
http://www.santafe.edu/research/publications/wpabstract/200506028
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Economics: The Next Physical Science?
J. Doyne Farmer, D. Eric Smith, and Martin Shubik
SFI Working Paper 05-06-027
http://www.santafe.edu/research/publications/wpabstract/200506027
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Remarks on the Foundations of Agent-Based Generative Social Science
Joshua M. Epstein
SFI Working Paper 05-06-024
http://www.santafe.edu/research/publications/wpabstract/200506024
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The marriage problem: from the bar of appointments to the agency
Alejandro Lage-Castellanos, Roberto Mulet
http://www.unifr.ch/econophysics/PHP/formulaire/redirect.php?year=2005&code=physics/0508073&version=abs
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Consumers don't play dice, influence of social networks and advertisements
Robert D. Groot
http://www.unifr.ch/econophysics/PHP/formulaire/redirect.php?year=2005&code=physics/0508065&version=abs
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A Simultaneous Model to measure Academic and Financial Performances of Scientific Activities
L.T. Handoko
http://www.unifr.ch/econophysics/PHP/formulaire/redirect.php?year=2005&code=physics/0508059&version=abs
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Phase transition in a sexual age-structured model of learning foreign languages
Veit Schwammle
http://www.unifr.ch/econophysics/PHP/formulaire/redirect.php?year=2005&code=physics/0509018&version=abs
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Iterative elimination of weakly dominated strategies in binary voting agendas with sequential voting
Hummel, Patrick
http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:clt:sswopa:1236&r=cdm
Keywords: perfect information games, extensive games, backward induction, weakly dominated strategies, iterative elimination of weakly dominated strategies, binary voting agendas, sequential voting

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4.Conferences, CfP & research schools
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AB-ModSim
International Workshop on Agent Based Modeling and Simulation
http://www.lintar.disco.unimib.it/ABModSim/
Chairs: Stefania Bandini, Paolo Petta and Giuseppe Vizzari

A Symposium of the 18th European Meeting on Cybernetic Science and Systems Research �
April 18-21 - University of Vienna
http://www.osgk.ac.at/emcsr/
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e-Infrastructures for Social Simulation

The aim of this workshop is to identify the organisational, technical and conceptual e-infrastructures that are needed to foster the adoption of computational models in the social sciences. Examples might be: an archive of social sciences simulations, a computational grid for the efficient execution of simulations and metadata standards to describe computational models.
http://www.ncess.ac.uk/events/agenda/socialsimulation/
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The Third European Workshop on Multi-Agent Systems
Flemish Academic Center for Science and the Arts
Brussels, Belgium
7th and 8th December, 2005
http://como.vub.ac.be/eumas2005/
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Call for Papers: Agent-based models of market dynamics and consumer
behaviour
17-18 January 2006
University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

Traditional marketing models have usually employed equilibrium statistical techniques and have tended to focus on aggregate variables, such as market share or price elasticity. However the top-down, static and aggregate approach of traditional methods cannot deal with key factors influencing buying behaviour such as the heterogeneity of the consumer population and the role of social networks in propagating word of mouth. As a result, current models in marketing science sometimes use unvalidated assumptions about consumer behaviour and have limited explanatory and predictive powers. The potential of agent-based models for providing better explanations of the dynamics of consumer markets is still, however, in its infancy. At the workshop, we wish to survey current work and explore the most promising directions for future research.

Contributions to the workshop are invited on the topics of:
* The dynamics of genres and fashions
* Methods for collecting empirical data on influence networks
* Methods for the agent-based modelling of consumer behaviour
* Exploring the effects of marketing strategies with social simulation
* Standardised datasets for the comparison of models and related topics.

Contributors should submit an extended abstract of the work that they wish to present, of about 1-2000 words, by 15 October 2005. Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit a full paper (4 -7000 words) by 15 December 2005.

The workshop will be held at the University of Surrey, in Guildford, UK. Guildford is a market town in the Green Belt surrounding London and is located about 35 minutes by train from central London and within easy reach of London¹s Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

The workshop is organized by Nigel Gilbert, University of Surrey, UK and Iqbal Adjali, Unilever Corporate Research. As a consequence of sponsorship from Unilever Corporate Research, there will be no charge to participants for registration, accommodation in en-suite rooms and meals during the workshop.

Abstracts should be sent to Nigel Gilbert (n.gilbert@surrey.ac.uk) by 15 October 2005, as anonymous PDF files attached to an email including full contact details. Requests for participation from those not wanting to present a paper, accompanied by a statement of interests, should be sent to the same address by the same date.

Program committee:
Iqbal Adjali (Unilever)
Guillaume Deffuant (Cemagref, France)
Nigel Gilbert (Surrey)
Wander Jager (Groningen, the Netherlands)
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Swarm Intelligence and Patterns 2006 (SIP´06)
http://alfa.ist.utl.pt/~cvrm/staff/vramos/SIP06.html

3rd Int. Workshop Session at ISDA 2006 - 6th IEEE International Conference on Intelligent System Design and Applications, Jinan, Shandong, China, October 16-18, 2006
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Modeling Decisions for Artificial Intelligence
Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, April 3-5, 2006
http://www.mdai.info/mdai2006

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5.Software
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Release of Thyrix - a fast agent/environment simulator designed for research in artificial life or
embodied artificial intelligence, especially for evolutionary experiments.

Features:
- C++ code;
- Object primitives: circles, capped rectangles, borders (semi-planes);
- Composite objects, elastic links, articulated agents;
- Contact detection and resolution;
- 2-dimensional space;
- Quasi-static dynamics;
- Visual sensors;
- Tactile sensors integrated with contact detection;
- User interaction by dragging objects with the mouse;
- Cross-platform portable graphical user interface;

Most of the source code is available for free, under the GNU General Public License.
More information: http://www.thyrix.com

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6.Job opportunities
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Research and development position in computer sciences

Tasks
- Needs and requirements analysis for an integrated knowledge infrastructure to support water stress mitigation processes � Contribution to the related specifications
- Design and development of specific tools to support public participation, including participative modelling and multi-agent models for role playing games

Required skills
Dealing with a complex project associating many partners
Being able to understand stakes and process of water management within communities
Information systems analysis and needs assessment
Object oriented design and development, preference for SmallTalk and Java
Multi-agent practice would be useful: Cormas development or rapid adaptation
Role-playing game approaches for decision support would be useful
Writing reports and scientific papers
Minimum MSc or DEA level � Some experience of research preferred

Context and location
Lab. UMR G-EAU Cemagref (French public research institute � www.cemagref.fr), multidisciplinary research on tools and models to support water management
European integrated project Aquastress: www.aquastress.net
Montpellier, France � some European travels required

Contracts
>From now...
8 months term first � could be extended
Salary according to level � French public salary grid (engineer level) from 1800 to 2500 �/month (gross incl. social insurance and pension)

Contact
Dr. Nils Ferrand � Nils.Ferrand@montpellier.cemagref.fr
Chargé de Recherches (research fellow)
Gestion intégrée des bassins versants (Integrated Watershed Management) Cemagref Irrigation Montpellier BP 5095 361, rue J.F. Breton 34196 Montpellier Cedex 5 - France
Tel.: +33/(0)4 67 04 63 20
Fax : +33/(0)4 67 63 57 95
www.cemagref.fr
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Visiting International Fellowship in Social Research Methods, University of Surrey

The Institute of Social Research at the University of Surrey has established a Visiting International Fellowship to foster the development of sociological research methods. Applications must be received by 30th September 2005 for visits during the calendar year 2006.
http://www.ncrm.ac.uk/hub/2005/survey/
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Lectureship in Computer Science
University of Southampton
Reference number: 05R0126
http://www.jobs.soton.ac.uk/adminweb/jsp/jobs/sJobview.jsp?function=View&id=05R0126

Applications are invited for the post of Lecturer in Computer Science in the School of Electronics and Computer Science, which is one of the most successful and largest of its kind in the UK. The School has internationally acknowledged research excellence in Electronics and Computer Science (receiving the top rating of 5*/5* in the latest Research Assessment Exercise). Teaching QAA ratings are also the highest possible: 24/24 for Electronics and Excellent for Computer Science.

We are seeking people who will work in the internationally renowned Intelligence, Agents, Multimedia Group in general, but who have specific expertise in multi-agent systems, complex adaptive systems, and game theory in particular.

Applicants should have a PhD, a good publication record and the enthusiasm and drive to carry out high quality research in an exciting, highly professional, multidisciplinary environment.

Information about the School can be found at http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/ and about the Intelligence, Agents, Multimedia Group at http://www.iam.ecs.soton.ac.uk. Informal enquiries may be made to the Professor Nick Jennings (+44 (0)23 8059 7681, nrj@ecs.soton.ac.uk

The salary will be in the range £28,850 to £36,546. The duration of the post is 5 years.

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Feel free to send me news you d like to share with other members, I ll be pleased to include them into the following newsletter.
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Important
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This newsletter is distributed only to members of the European Social Simulation Association for their own use. Please do not distribute further.
To join ESSA, register at: http://essa.eu.org
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Frédéric Amblard
Assistant Professor
Univ. Toulouse 1
France
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