swarm-modeling
[Top][All Lists]
Advanced

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Swarm Futures re-cap


From: gepr
Subject: Swarm Futures re-cap
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2002 11:23:37 -0700

OK.  This is going *very* well.  Our reports from Roger and Gulya
will help, too.  Right now, I'm just collecting this stuff.  I'd
like to have enough fodder for some solid discussion by the time
SwarmFest comes around.

Also, we should have more discussion of the other implementations like
AScape, RePast, MAS, Ecolab, StarLogo and any other tool that falls
under "Swarm-like" modeling.  And I, personally, welcome discussion
of things like Mathematica, Matlab, XMath, R, HDF, VenSim, ProModel,
DADiSP, etcetcetc, as well as Linux (as a preferred platform), 
Windows, Mac OSX, etc.  Heck, I'd even like to see some discussion of
real-time systems.  Swarm has never even approached things like 
real-time scheduling or embedded systems or mobile agents, etc.

It would be cool to have a little discussions on low-leve protocols
for agents (SAX is NOT a low-level protocol [grin] but I suppose that's
ok, too).

glen
-----------Re-cap------------

>From Darren Schreiber:

1. Teaching:
   1.1  Install
   1.2 High-level modeling
       1.2.1 Agent interaction network topology tools
       1.2.2 Creation and mgmt of agents
       1.2.3 Input and output tools
       1.2.4 Retain capability of puncturing the high-level when necessary

2. Research:
   2.1 High-level modeling
       2.1.1 All of the points listed above go here, too
       2.1.2 Rapid prototyping
       2.1.3 Model replication through a gui or high-level language
       2.1.4 Drag and drop GUI
   2.2 Model Validation/Verification Toolkit
       2.2.1 Docking tools to perform experiments on multiple models
   2.3 Best Practice Modeling
       2.3.1 Modeling Patterns for Input, Output, and Topology


>From Jason Alexander:

3. If we're going to break it, break everything that needs breaking.

4. Problem List
   4.1 The reference (SDG's) implementation is hard to install.
   4.2 The reference implementation is complicated to use and 
       inefficient for simple tasks.
   4.3 (7.1) and (7.2) limit the propogation of Swarm.
   4.4 It is hard to share models and extensions.
   4.5 It is hard to graft a GUI on top of an application written for
       the reference implementation (though this may be mitigated with
       the Java layer or with other implementations).

5. Benefits
   5.1 Powerful, flexible, and open-ended
       8.1.1  Powerful tools are HARD TO USE, which brings up the 
              question of whether or not we need this much power.

6. Imperatives
   6.1 It should be easy for people using Swarm implementations to
       describe modeling problems in the language they find most
       suitable.
   6.2 Make it easy for others to install an implementation on any
       major platform.
   6.3 Make it possible to embed Swarm models in a web page.

7. Potential Directions
   7.1  Develop a Mathematica-like model specification mechanism
        7.1.1  "Notebook" model for modules/apps, which embody a complete
               model specification that can be shared.
        7.1.2  A multi-grained "language" that allowed both high-level
               abstractions and low-level specification.
   7.2  Dump Objective-C and re-implement the reference implementation in 
        Java.
        7.2.1  Leverages Java deployment (model sharing and installation)
               and portability.
        7.2.2  Leverages the many APIs available like Swing.
        7.2.3  Embeddable in a client-side applet.
        7.2.4  Leverages the community-generated tools like SGT.
   7.3  Already have a proof-of-concept for (10.1 & 10.2) with 
        <http://evolve.lse.ac.uk/jalex/misc/eml/docs>

>From Russell Standish:
8. Another toolkit with a slightly different focus: Ecolab.
9. Problems with the reference implementation of Swarm
   9.1  Objective-C and Java are too simple to support some constructs.
         9.1.1  Operator Overloading, generic programming
         9.1.2  No parallelizing compiler
   9.2  No complete scripting system
10. Swarm helped in designing Ecolab.

>From Phil <address@hidden>:

11. F-Script as a suggested scripting integration (at least for Ecolab)

>From Gary Polhill:

12. Build more on top of the existing libraries in the reference impl
    12.1  Standar applications
    12.2  Classes of agents
    12.3  Model/ObserverSwarm extensions
          12.3.1  Perhaps make Swarms into complete run-times and/or 
interpreters
                  that can read a specification and instatiate, then execute 
that
                  specification.
          12.3.2  [Un]Marshalling of model specifications for transport or 
storage

13. Imperative

    13.1 Find out how much of most people's wishes could be achieved
         through adding a bit of flesh on the Swarm libraries' bones,
         rather than rebuilding the bones themselves.


-- 
glen e. p. ropella              =><=                           Hail Eris!
H: 831.335.4950                              http://www.ropella.net/~gepr
M: 831.247.7901                               http://www.tempusdictum.com



                  ==================================
   Swarm-Modelling is for discussion of Simulation and Modelling techniques
   esp. using Swarm.  For list administration needs (esp. [un]subscribing),
   please send a message to <address@hidden> with "help" in the
   body of the message.
                  ==================================


reply via email to

[Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread]