ABSTRACT

This book is concerned with a particular approach to the study of societies, primarily human societies, that has been fruitful in the past and appears likely to be even more so in the future. This is the use of precisely specified simulation models, often formulated and run on computers, to recreate and study essential aspects of societies. The central advantage of precise modelling is that when results are obtained they are obtained objectively and repeatably. The disadvantage is that drawing any conclusions at all becomes a technically more demanding task.