ABSTRACT
Agent-based modelling and simulation (ABMS) is a method that enables researchers to create a computer model and simulation of active entities and their behaviour and interaction with each other and their environment. These interacting, autonomous and adaptive agents can be individuals, households, groups, organisations, vehicles, equipment, products or cells, in social and evolutionary settings, for example. ABMS enables researchers to build models of systems from the bottom up, with the aim of producing simulations in which patterns, structures and behaviours emerge from agent interaction. Researchers from a variety of disciplines and areas of study use ABMS including sociology and social psychology, geography, health and medicine. Models and simulations can be exploratory, descriptive and predictive: they can be used to provide insight into behaviour and decision-making, make predictions about future behaviour and trends or help to analyse, validate or explain data collected from other sources.
