Agent-Based Simulation

Abstract

This volume is based on papers accepted for the Second International Workshop on Multi-agent-based Simulation (MABS-2000) federated with the Fourth Inter- national Conference on Multi Agent Systems (ICMAS-2000) held in Boston in July 2000. The purpose of MABS-2000 was to investigate and develop the synergy be- tween software engineering for multi-agent systems and agent-based social sim- ulation. The papers included in the MABS-2000 workshop were selected either because they explore how agent interaction can be used to build multi-agent sys- tems or they offer examples of problem-oriented (rather than technique-oriented) systems. No paper was selected if it specified a model or an issue to make it fit a previously chosen technique. All of the papers in the volume have been reviewed and in many cases revised since the workshop. Two papers (by Edmonds and by Hales) as well as the editorial introduction have been added to those accepted for the workshop. As editors and workshop organisers, we are very grateful to the participants who engaged enthusiastically in the discussions about both individual papers and the issues facing the MABS community. Issues raised and positions taken in those discussions are reported in the editorial introduction. We are also grateful to the authors for their punctuality and the grace with which they received and responded to editorial comments and requests. Klaus Fischer, the ICMAS-2000 workshops chair, was exceptionally patient and diplomatic in reconciling our demands with the resources available. We are particularly grateful to Klaus and to Ed Durfee, the general chair of ICMAS-2000, for arranging the infrastructure for an extra day of MABS-2000 when it became clear that that was warranted by the number and quality of papers submitted. A special word of thanks is due Jaime Sichman, an editor of the proceedings of MABS’98. Jaime gave us very useful, timely and welcome advice on the organ- isation and planning of the workshop and in organising the publication of this volume. Finally, we thank Alfred Hoffmann and his team at Springer-Verlag for enabling us to combine the further reviewing, extension and revision of papers with rapid and timely publication of the volume.