IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-00554700.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Agent-Based Models and Simulations in Economics and Social Sciences: from conceptual exploration to distinct ways of experimenting

Author

Listed:
  • Denis Phan

    (GEMAS - Groupe d'étude des méthodes de l'analyse sociologique - UP4 - Université Paris-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Franck Varenne

    (GEMAS - Groupe d'étude des méthodes de l'analyse sociologique - UP4 - Université Paris-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Now that complex Agent-Based Models and computer simulations spread over economics and social sciences - as in most sciences of complex systems -, epistemological puzzles (re)emerge. We introduce new epistemological concepts so as to show to what extent authors are right when they focus on some empirical, instrumental or conceptual significance of their model or simulation. By distinguishing between models and simulations, between types of models, between types of computer simulations and between types of empiricity obtained through a simulation, section 2 gives the possibility to understand more precisely - and then to justify - the diversity of the epistemological positions presented in section 1. Our final claim is that careful attention to the multiplicity of the denotational powers of symbols at stake in complex models and computer simulations is necessary to determine, in each case, their proper epistemic status and credibility.

Suggested Citation

  • Denis Phan & Franck Varenne, 2010. "Agent-Based Models and Simulations in Economics and Social Sciences: from conceptual exploration to distinct ways of experimenting," Post-Print hal-00554700, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00554700
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-00554700
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-00554700/document
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Denis Phan & Franck Varenne, 2010. "Agent-Based Models and Simulations in Economics and Social Sciences: From Conceptual Exploration to Distinct Ways of Experimenting," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 13(1), pages 1-5.
    2. Uskali Maki, 2005. "Models are experiments, experiments are models," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(2), pages 303-315.
    3. Mary Morgan, 2005. "Experiments versus models: New phenomena, inference and surprise," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(2), pages 317-329.
    4. Tesfatsion, Leigh S., 2002. "Agent-Based Computational Economics: Growing Economies from the Bottom Up," Staff General Research Papers Archive 5075, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    5. Leigh Tesfatsion, 2002. "Agent-Based Computational Economics," Computational Economics 0203001, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 15 Aug 2002.
    6. Robert Axelrod, 1997. "Advancing the Art of Simulation in the Social Sciences," Working Papers 97-05-048, Santa Fe Institute.
    7. Pierre Livet & Denis Phan & Lena Sanders, 2008. "Why do we need Ontology for Agent-Based Models?," Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems, in: Klaus Schredelseker & Florian Hauser (ed.), Complexity and Artificial Markets, chapter 11, pages 133-145, Springer.
    8. David Hales & Juliette Rouchier & Bruce Edmonds, 2003. "Model-To-Model Analysis," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 6(4), pages 1-5.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Pierre Livet & Jean-Pierre Muller & Denis Phan & Lena Sanders, 2010. "Ontology, a Mediator for Agent-Based Modeling in Social Science," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 13(1), pages 1-3.
    2. Denis Phan & Franck Varenne, 2010. "Agent-Based Models and Simulations in Economics and Social Sciences: From Conceptual Exploration to Distinct Ways of Experimenting," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 13(1), pages 1-5.
    3. Fontana, Magda, 2010. "Can neoclassical economics handle complexity? The fallacy of the oil spot dynamic," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 76(3), pages 584-596, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giorgio Fagiolo & Paul Windrum & Alessio Moneta, 2006. "Empirical Validation of Agent Based Models: A Critical Survey," LEM Papers Series 2006/14, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    2. Pierre Livet & Jean-Pierre Muller & Denis Phan & Lena Sanders, 2010. "Ontology, a Mediator for Agent-Based Modeling in Social Science," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 13(1), pages 1-3.
    3. Matteo Richiardi, 2003. "The Promises and Perils of Agent-Based Computational Economics," LABORatorio R. Revelli Working Papers Series 29, LABORatorio R. Revelli, Centre for Employment Studies.
    4. Juan Manuel Larrosa, 2016. "Agentes computacionales y análisis económico," Revista de Economía Institucional, Universidad Externado de Colombia - Facultad de Economía, vol. 18(34), pages 87-113, January-J.
    5. Günter Küppers & Johannes Lenhard, 2005. "Validation of Simulation: Patterns in the Social and Natural Sciences," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 8(4), pages 1-3.
    6. Hiroshi Takahashi, 2012. "An Analysis Of The Influence Of Dispersion Of Valuations On Financial Markets Through Agent-Based Modeling," International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making (IJITDM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 11(01), pages 143-166.
    7. Atakelty Hailu & Sophie Thoyer, 2006. "Multi-unit auction format design," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 1(2), pages 129-146, November.
    8. Rennard, Jean-Philippe, 2006. "Artificiality in Social Sciences," MPRA Paper 1458, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Flaminio Squazzoni, 2010. "The impact of agent-based models in the social sciences after 15 years of incursions," History of Economic Ideas, Fabrizio Serra Editore, Pisa - Roma, vol. 18(2), pages 197-234.
    10. Lamieri, Marco & Ietri, Daniele, 2004. "Innovation creation and diffusion in a social network: an agent based approach," MPRA Paper 445, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 20 Oct 2006.
    11. Blom, Martin & Castellacci, Fulvio & Fevolden, Arne Martin, 2013. "The trade-off between innovation and defense industrial policy: A simulation model analysis of the Norwegian defense industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(8), pages 1579-1592.
    12. Paola Tubaro, 2011. "Computational Economics," Chapters, in: John B. Davis & D. Wade Hands (ed.), The Elgar Companion to Recent Economic Methodology, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    13. Klaus M. Schmidt, 2009. "The Role of Experiments for the Development of Economic Theories," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 10(s1), pages 14-30, May.
    14. Ting-Hua Chang & Jun-Yen Lee & Ru-Hwa Chen, 2008. "The Effects of Customer Value on Loyalty and Profits in a Dynamic Competitive Market," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 32(3), pages 317-339, October.
    15. Buda, Rodolphe, 2005. "Numerical Analysis in Econom(etr)ic Softwares: the Data-Memory Shortage Management," MPRA Paper 9145, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2007.
    16. Paul Windrum & Giorgio Fagiolo & Alessio Moneta, 2007. "Empirical Validation of Agent-Based Models: Alternatives and Prospects," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 10(2), pages 1-8.
    17. Pedro Cosme Costa Vieira, 2005. "Market equilibrium with search and computational costs," FEP Working Papers 173, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    18. Magda Fontana, 2006. "Computer simulations, mathematics and economics," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 53(1), pages 96-123, March.
    19. Steven Gjerstad & Jason M. Shachat, 2007. "Individual Rationality and Market Efficiency," Purdue University Economics Working Papers 1204, Purdue University, Department of Economics.
    20. Tesfatsion, Leigh, 2006. "Agent-Based Computational Modeling And Macroeconomics," Staff General Research Papers Archive 12402, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00554700. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.