NetLogo meets R: Linking agent-based models with a toolbox for their analysis

Abstract

NetLogo is a software platform for agent-based modelling that is increasingly used in ecological and environmental modelling. So far, for comprehensive analyses of agent-based models (ABMs) implemented in NetLogo, results needed to be written to files and evaluated by using external software, for example R. Ideally, however, it would be possible to call any R function from within a NetLogo program. This would allow sophisticated interactive statistical analysis of model structure and dynamics, using R functions and packages for generating certain statistical distributions and experimental design, and for implementing complex descriptive submodels within ABMs. Here we present an R extension of NetLogo. It consists of only nine new NetLogo primitives for sending data between NetLogo and R and for calling R functions (six additional primitives for debugging). We demonstrate the usage of the R extension with three short examples. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.